PORTS AUTHORITY POLICE (WESTERN) COMMAND NABS SEVEN SUSPECTS OVER SERIAL ATTACKS ON INTERNATIONAL VESSELS

PORTS AUTHORITY POLICE (WESTERN) COMMAND NABS SEVEN SUSPECTS OVER SERIAL ATTACKS ON INTERNATIONAL VESSELS

The arrested Suspects

By Frank Odinukaeze

The Ports Authority Police (Western) Command has arrested seven suspects believed to be responsible for a string of recent attacks on international vessels within the Lagos port corridor. The suspects were apprehended in the early hours of November 16, 2025, during a marine patrol operation near the Ports & Terminal Multi-Services Limited (PTML) waterfront.
According to a statement issued by ASP Isaac Hundeyin anipr Police Public Relations Officer( Western ) Command , operatives of the Marine Unit, while on routine patrol at about 1:30 a.m., intercepted a suspicious speed boat positioned close to the Hong Kong–flagged vessel CL YINGNA HE, berthed at Berth 12. The officers initially sighted three occupants, but upon approaching the vessel, discovered four other individuals lying flat on the deck in an attempt to evade detection.
The police said the men were found stretching a long bamboo pole with a steel curved hook toward the berthed vessel, suggesting an attempt to gain unauthorized access. None of the seven occupants could provide a credible explanation for their presence in the restricted port area.

A search of the boat led to the recovery of several items believed to be burglary tools, including a heavy iron cutter, two saw blades, a long bamboo pole with a hooked attachment, a ship rope, 31 assorted spanners, screwdrivers, a plier, a plastic bucket, and a speed boat fitted with a 60HP Yamaha engine.
Police investigators said the suspects’ activities matched the modus operandi used in recent attacks on international vessels. Incidents under review include the October 21 attack on MV RIGI VENTURE at Berth 8 of SIFAX Port & Cargo Terminal; the November 14 attack on MV GLOVIS COSMOS at Berth 10, Five Star Logistics Terminal; and the November 15 attack on CL YINGNA HE at PTML’s Grimaldi Terminal.
Following preliminary interrogation, the suspects were transferred to the Port Criminal Investigation Department (Port CID) for further investigation. They were later arraigned in court on November 20, 2025.

Commissioner of Police, Ports Authority Police (Western) Command, CP Oluwatoyin Iyabode Agbaminoja, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to securing the nation’s maritime domain. She assured port users and stakeholders that intensified patrols, enhanced intelligence gathering, and stronger inter-agency collaboration would remain central to ongoing efforts to combat maritime crime