The President General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Comrade Francis Bunu, has accused security agencies operating in the Lagos ports of dereliction of duty following a rise in attacks on vessels while at berth.

Bunu specifically blamed the security agencies for failing to adequately secure port waters and waterfronts, warning that the trend could damage Nigeria’s reputation in the global maritime community.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by members of the Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria (SCAN) ahead of the 2026 Dockworkers’ Day event, the MWUN leader said attacks on ships at berths are unacceptable in a regulated port environment.

According to him, the Marine Police are primarily responsible for the protection, safety and security of vessels once they berth, as they are mandated to patrol and secure the waterfront.

“Why will a vessel berth and people will come from across the water in their numbers to attack the vessel at the berth?”, he queried.

“These vessels are foreign-owned and how do they want Nigeria to be viewed in the international community?”, he queried again.

Bunu lamented that such incidents indicate lapses in security coordination among relevant agencies, stressing that the situation must be urgently addressed.

“Somebody is certainly not doing their job. We can’t be having those attacks and nothing is being done to stop them by the agency responsible,” he said

His comments come in the wake of a security breach at the Eko Support Terminal in Lagos, where unidentified intruders reportedly attacked a vessel while it was already berthed at the facility last week.

The incident, industry sources said, raised fresh concerns among ship operators and port users about the safety of vessels within Nigerian ports. (Vanguard)

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