NPA’s Port Harcourt port faces security breaches as aprons vandalised

The Port Harcourt Port, Nigeria’s oldest port terminal whose quay aprons was vandalised recently by port rats, has further threatened maritime activities in the port, after suffering severe disrepair. Businesses have been at a low ebb at the terminal, which forms part of the much-neglected Eastern Ports.

Till date, five of the port’s damaged five quay aprons have largely been unserviceable due to lack of attention by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

The aprons suffered further attacks when the port rats vandalised the steel beams, carting them away.

However, the security network recently upgraded at the NPA, Port Harcourt Port, was put to use, as the personnel caught two of the port thieves. They had vandalised the steel beam of one of the quay aprons in the NPA Wharf worth millions of naira, according to Evelyn Tami Peterside, the commissioner of Police, Eastern Ports.

She attributed the success recorded in recovering of the stolen steel beam to the tight internal security set-up at the Port Harcourt Port, which was built in 1903.

“When Quay Aprons are destroyed in the process of vandalising steel beams, shipping and all economic activities at the port are stalled; and a substantial amount of money would be required to fix them,” she told our correspondent at the NPA premises.

She said the timely deployment of the NPA Port Harcourt Port’s efficient security system resulted in the prevention of the theft and arrest of the two suspects, Williams Tabotamuno and Akpos Ekiye, which she explained has saved the nation an extreme amount of shortfall in revenue generation from the port. She said, had the port thieves made away with the steel beam, the Port Harcourt Port would be knocked off the expected November-December port business boom.

“Quay Apron is where vessels off-load whatever they’re carrying before they’re taken away. The same way, if one is exporting, that is where he off-loads things before they are put into the vessel. Now, if that quay apron is destroyed, it means that the economic activity in the port is destroyed, because when vessels sail in with containers, they cannot off-load. In the same vein, one who wants to export goods, cannot load his goods inside the vessel. When they remove this big iron that is used to build this quay apron they will collapse,” Peterside explained.

NPA’s internal security outfit working in synergy with the marine police section were able to track down the port thieves.

The Eastern Ports police commissioner explained the modalities of vessels sailing into the terminal. “When they’re bringing in vessels, the Navy escorts them from their Bonny Anchorage down to this port. One of the naval officers saw some people under the quay apron and they were pointing that something was there. The CSO of BUA was wondering what to do. Luckily, the port security was on patrol. When they saw that people were gathering, they stopped. The moment they suspected that people were under, they alerted the Marine Police, who chased after them, and arrested them,” she narrated.

Meanwhile some 23 bags of wheat were stolen from the terminals valued nearly N0.5 million, which she said were recovered between 12 October and 3 November.

It is reported that the NPA, Port Harcourt Port has been more proactive in recent years, which brought some respite at the old port, thereby upping business activities. The outcome has been sustained revenue generation though marginal.