5 Arrested For Vandalising Jetty At Rivers Port

Efforts of the federal government and stakeholders in the maritime sector to make the industry viable and sustainable have continued to suffer setbacks from criminals, who have not relented in vandalising critical infrastructure.

The latest activity of the economic saboteurs occurred at a jetty belonging to the Ports and Terminal Operators Limited (PTOL) at the Rivers Port Complex in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

The criminals, according to the police, vandalised the iron pipes beneath the jetty.

The police attributed the activities of the suspects to get quick money for the Yuletide celebrations without consideration for the safety of the port users.

Five of the suspects have been arrested by operatives of the Eastern Ports Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). They would be charged in court upon completion of the investigation.

PTOL handles containerised, bulk and general cargo as well as warehousing and trucking facilities – logistics, shipping containers, reefer containers, general cargo, bulk cargo, Ro-Ro, warehousing and trucking.

The commissioner of police for Eastern Ports, Tijani Fatai, told journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday that the arrests were made possible by the residents of communities around the Rivers Port.

At the press briefing, the police chief said thieves across the riverine area have been disturbing the people and vandalising government properties, such as iron rods around the ports and the boats under the river.

Their activities, the police stated, have been ongoing for a long time, but yesterday, nemesis caught up with some of them who came around, because “we are having a festive period. They are looking for money to engage themselves during the period, and they tried it.

“With the help of the locals and our intelligence team around that area, we were able to arrest five of them, who came to vandalise iron pipes under the PTOL jetty precisely. Luck ran against them, and they were arrested,” he said.

“An investigation is being carried out into the matter, and at the end, they will be charged in court. This is to tell you that we are not sleeping; we are equal to the task, especially around the Eastern Ports,” he said.