The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has warned Port Facility Security Officers (PFSOs) against failing to submit marine security incident reports through approved channels, threatening sanctions for those who violate established procedures.
The agency raised the concern following reports that some port facilities had been sending security incident reports directly to individual NIMASA officials instead of using the designated International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Unit.
In a notice signed by the Head of the ISPS Code Unit, Mudi Isa, the agency instructed all Port Facility Security Officers to forward their incident reports through the officially approved ISPS Unit email address.
The notice, titled “Non-Receipt of Incident Reports/Submission to Approved ISPS Unit,” expressed concern that the unit was not receiving reports from some port facilities, describing the situation as a significant security risk.
NIMASA warned that failure to submit reports through the appropriate channels could amount to a violation of ISPS compliance requirements.
It also directed officers not to send or copy incident reports to individual staff email addresses unless they had received specific authorisation to do so.
The agency further instructed operators who do not receive an acknowledgement from the ISPS Unit within 24 hours of submitting a report to contact the unit immediately by telephone.
Port operators who are uncertain about the approved reporting email directory were also advised to seek clarification from the ISPS Unit before submitting their reports.
According to NIMASA, the directive is intended to ensure that maritime security incidents and unusual activities are documented promptly and addressed through a coordinated response system.
The agency stressed that protecting port facilities and ensuring vessel safety required maritime operators, terminal users and other personnel to comply with authorised reporting procedures immediately after detecting any security incident or suspicious activity.
Source: VANGUARD
