Flag Officer Commanding of the Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Saheed Akinwande, has said that inter-agency collaboration was necessary to stop criminal activities in Nigeria’s waterways.

Mr Akinwande said this on Wednesday in Calabar, Cross River State, during the Naval Warfare Course Eight Inter-Agency Seminar with the theme: “Combating Maritime Crimes Through Effective Inter-Agency Cooperation and Collaboration.”

The FOC said the seminar was necessary because it brought to fore the need for security agencies to collaborate and be more serious about sharing of information.

He said the nation’s maritime environment was so large and transnational in nature unlike the land borders, making it easy for crime and criminalities to be perpetrated even by vessels that could camouflage as fishing trawlers.

Mr Akinwande noted that the issues were compounded by modern technologies that were accessible to criminals

He said, “It has become increasingly difficult for one agency or institution of government to want to claim that it can protect the environment alone, it is not possible. The earlier we begin to leverage our competencies, the better for us because criminal elements are collaborating wonderfully as I observed in my investigations. The most annoying thing is that these criminals take advantage of the seemingly disorganised relationship between security agencies.”

Mr Akinwande added that the only way forward was for stakeholders, including members of the coastal communities, to collaborate to tackle maritime crimes. .

On his part, Commandant, Naval War College, Rear Admiral Abdullahi Ahmed, said when agencies collaborate, they save cost and build confidence.

He noted that when there was cooperation among agencies there would be trust, unnecessary competitive attitude eliminated and together, problems would easily be solved.

Delivering a lecture on the theme of the seminar, Director, State Security Service, Roselyn Ozuagbe, said inter-agency cooperation remained the most effective means of combating maritime crimes in the country.

She said since every crime was planned and executed by people in a certain locality, proper and sustained collaboration would ensure the support and cooperation of the people.

(NAN)