Marine police launches tracking devices to rid waterways of criminalities.

By Ezurike Ugochukwu 

The Marine Police has introduced tracking devices towards nipping the increasing spate of criminalities and banditry on the waterways in the bud.

Mohammed Kura, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Marine Police Command, who stated this at an Instagram live session in Lagos, recently.

Speaking on the topic, ”Security and Water Transportation, Post COVID-19″, he said as crimes went digital, agencies and their approaches needed to get more sophisticated.

The AIG who was represented by Cyprian Ovat, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, at the session said, “We are in a digital era and crime is being more sophisticated; the criminals are doing everything possible to beat the police, but we have introduced new methods to combat crime.

“We have their biodata and various tracking devices to track any criminal whose identity and prints are found at the scene of crime.

“Before any crime is committed today, there will be communication between the person online and on the waters, with this, we can track their conversation and this is how we are able to get their identity.”

Kura stated that during the lockdown, boats were stopped from operation and men of the command made sure it was enforced to ensure safety and no serious incident of crime was recorded on the waterways.

He stated thst there was strong surveillance on canals also to ensure hoodlums do not take advantage of such areas to unleash their criminal activities on the society.

He further lauded the cordial working relationship between the police and the Navy through sharing of information and carrying out of operations together when necessary fo the aim of safety of the waterways.

Being a marine police officer, he said it required specialised training due to keep them on top during rescue operations on waters.

He said, “The officer should be able to jump from one boat to the other and not have fear of drowning.

“There is a training institution in Bayelsa State that will soon kick-off to help with training of marine police officers.

“Being a marine officer is all about interest because this is not an area someone is called to come and join; one should be ready to combat armed robbery at sea and so women with interest are welcomed.

“Presently, we have vibrant and skilled women officers so there is no excuse of gender issue,” he said.

The Maritime Police Command he said was established in 2012 as a zonal command to oversee various police departments with operational mandate on Nigerian waterways, to police the route