The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), on Friday issued a final quit notice to squatters lodging and operating illegally within Lagos ports.
Mr Nasir Mohammed, the Manager, Apapa Port, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, that the warning became necessary due to the security challenges bedeviling the country.
According to Mohammed, the port remains a security facility and cannot accommodate all, especially those without legitimate business.
“Like we mentioned sometimes back, recent security assessments revealed the presence of some squatters and some other unauthorised persons who, for one reason or the other, found their way into the port.
“Now, we have identified them and what they are doing.
“Some of them claim to be responsible for providing services to some of our sister agencies in the port.
“So, for that reason, we have written to our sister agencies inside the port, drawing attention to the fact that such persons are not acceptable to remain inside the port.
“We have written to the Immigration, we have written to the Controller of Customs, Apapa Port.
“We have written to the Area Commander and the DPO of Apapa Port as well, drawing attention to the existence of some of these persons who in some cases harbour around their offices.’’
Mohammed also said that dislodgement of the squatters would be carried out by a combined team of agencies operating at the port.
NAN recalls that the NPA in collaboration with other agencies had in 2014, dislodged touts hanging around the ports, especially the customs offices.
