By Steve Agbota
National Chairman of Ports Facility Security Officers Forum of Nigeria (PFSOFN), Ignatius Uche, has said that states in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) have lost billions of dollars due to sea piracy, armed robbery and other maritime criminal activities.
He said criminal activities and attendant loss of billions of dollars have posed significant threats to the economy and national security of states that make up the GoG.
Uche whose opening speech at the 2021 conference of PFSOFN at Asaba, Delta State was delivered by national vice chairman, Mrs, Gloria Ayika, said that the security challenges in the Gulf of Guinea states have impacted negatively on ports operations in Nigeria.
He said firm and unwavering action was needed as frontline officers in ports facility security so as to curb the threats and put them under control.
He insisted that acts that tantamount to evasion of rules and regulations in ways that aid maritime criminal activities in whatever guise must be vigorously fought and brought to a standstill.
Ayika, who is also the chairman of Niger Delta Maritime Security Area, said there are security challenges in the GoG states but the ports facility security officers are making deliberate efforts to improve their services at the ports.
According to her, to improve the security services, there is need for collaboration, hence the gathering of all ports security officers to share intelligence, which would aid in mitigating security challenges in the Gulf of Guinea.
She listed armed robbery, sea piracy, illegal fishing and bunkering as some of the criminal activities, which are negatively impacting on ports operations in the GoG states.