Section 31: Powers of enforcement Officers.

(1) Where an enforcement officer believes on reasonable grounds that a vessel has contravened the provisions of this Act, the enforcement officer may stop and board the vessel, detain the vessel or its officers or both and, with a warrant, search the vessel and seize anything found in or on the vessel that the enforcement officer, believes on reasonable grounds shall afford evidence with respect to any contravention of this Act.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of any existing Act, an enforcement officer may carry out the powers under subsection (1) of this section without a warrant if by reason of exigencies it would not be practicable to obtain a warrant.
(3) While carrying out any of the powers under this section, an enforcement officer may -
(a) require the owner, master or any person who may have possession of the official log book on the ship, or any other document or paper that may provide evidence of the contravention, to produce, for inspection or for the purposes of obtaining copies thereof or extracts therefrom, the log book or any other document or paper ;
(b) require the master of such ship to give such information relating to the ship, cargo, stores, crew, passengers or voyage as he may consider necessary ;
(c) require the master or any person found on board the ship to give all the reasonable assistance in the power of the master or any other person, as the case may be, to enable the enforcement officer to carry out the enforcement officer's duties and functions under this Act ; and
(d) where necessary enlist the assistance of the Nigerian Customs Service, the Nigerian Navy, the Nigerian Police and any other law enforcement as he may deem necessary.