The Nigerian Navy has issued a stern warning to criminals operating in the country’s maritime domain, declaring that it will no longer tolerate illegal activities at sea.
Commander of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, Commodore Paul Nimmyel, delivered the warning while parading suspects arrested on Lagos waters. The individuals were allegedly preparing to use over 400 jerricans, each with a 250-litre capacity, for the theft of petroleum products.
According to Nimmyel, the interception occurred on February 10, 2025, when the Western Regional Control Centre of Falcon Eye Alignment detected suspicious movement of a large wooden boat near Lagos anchorage. The NNS BEECROFT Quick Response Team, stationed at Tarkwa Bay, swiftly acted on the intelligence and intercepted the vessel as it attempted to flee toward Benin Republic.
“The boat had seven suspects onboard and contained 408 empty drums, three pumping machines, and eight Yamaha 40HP outboard engines,” Nimmyel said. “This operation has successfully prevented a significant economic loss.”
He emphasized that the success of such operations demonstrates NNS BEECROFT’s commitment to enforcing the mandate of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, in tackling maritime crimes.
The naval commander also issued a strong warning to those involved in illegal oil bunkering and illicit drug smuggling, vowing that security forces will remain relentless in pursuing criminals operating within the area.
In a separate operation on the same day, NNS BEECROFT personnel, acting on intelligence, intercepted boats smuggling cannabis sativa along the Topo Badagry and Long Jetty axis. While the suspects managed to escape, security operatives recovered 28 bags of the illegal substance, weighing approximately 1,120 kilograms.
The confiscated items were handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) for further investigation and prosecution.
The Nigerian Navy has reiterated its resolve to rid the country’s waterways of criminal activities and ensure the protection of Nigeria’s maritime resources.
