12th July, 2015
The Nigeria Police says it is looking into the challenges faced by its marine unit, the Marine Police, with a view to making it function effectively.
The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mr Emmanuel Ojukwu, a Commissioner of Police, told NAN that all the unit’s broken down boats would be repaired.
He also said efforts were on to deploy new boats to the Lagos command of the force.
“This is to enable the unit’s officers and men meet the challenges of crime, especially the ones posed by the recent robbery attacks in the area,” Ojukwu said.
NAN recalls that two recent robbery attacks on banks in the state saw the suspected robbers escaping through the use of speedboats.
“We are re-strategising the marine police operation to check criminal activities using the inland waterways,” he said.
A NAN Correspondent, who visited the marine police jetty along Awolowo Road at Ikoyi in Lagos, reports that only few of the 11 speedboats being used by the command are serviceable.
Reliable sources told NAN that most of the gun boats could only be used for surveillance as they were too heavy to speed, thereby hampering any rescue mission.
“We don’t have boats to race in the quickest time for rescue mission. The highest speed boat in our fleet is 100 horse powers.
“We have the manpower, as well as the arms to handle any situation, but we don’t have adequate means of mobility for urgent mission.
We appeal to the Federal and Lagos State Governments for new speedboats,” one of the sources said.