Security & Safety
Federal Government Donates 3,500 Life Jackets to Enhance Waterways Safety in Ogun
In a renewed effort to improve safety on Nigeria’s inland waterways, the Federal Government has donated 3,500 life jackets to the Ogun State Government for distribution to registered water transport operators across the state.
The donation, made on Tuesday by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, underscores the government’s resolve to curb recurring boat mishaps and protect the lives of waterway users. Represented at the event by the Director of Maritime Services, Dr. Mercy Ilori, Oyetola described the initiative as a vital component of a national strategy to instill safety consciousness in water transportation.
“This is one of the most coordinated interventions to address the rising number of boat accidents,” Oyetola said. “Similar donations have been made in Niger, Bayelsa, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Taraba, and Lagos States. Today in Ogun, we continue this life-saving mission.”
The Minister outlined a three-pronged approach to tackling waterway safety challenges: enforcement of the newly gazetted Inland Waterways Transportation Regulations (2023), sustained public sensitization, and the provision of essential safety equipment such as life jackets.
He also praised the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) for its proactive enforcement, monitoring, and advocacy roles in advancing maritime safety.
Receiving the donation on behalf of Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, Commissioner for Transportation, Engr. Gbenga Dairo, thanked the federal government for the timely intervention. He assured that the life jackets would be distributed fairly to verified operators across the state’s riverine communities.
“Safety on our waterways is a non-negotiable right,” Dairo said. “Each life jacket could mean the difference between life and death. This effort aligns with our ISEYA agenda, which prioritizes human capital development.”
He added that the life jackets would be distributed in communities such as Iwopin, Ebute-Ero, Agbara, Tongeji, Imakun Omi, and Ode-Omi, with mechanisms in place to ensure proper usage and accountability.
Also speaking, NIWA Managing Director, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji—represented by Engr. Elsie Egwuatu—warned against complacency, noting that most accidents are caused by human negligence. She cited recent fatal boat mishaps in Kwara and Niger States, where overcrowding and non-compliance with safety protocols led to tragic losses.
“Over 90 percent of boat accidents are preventable,” she noted. “The new Marine and Transport Regulations make life jackets compulsory and provide stiff penalties for violators, including fines and jail terms.”
National President of the Association of Tourist Boat Operators and Water Transporters of Nigeria (ATBOWATON), Alhaji Tarzan Balogun, commended the federal government’s initiative and called for strict enforcement of safety rules.
“There should be a firm policy: no life jacket, no boarding,” Balogun said. “We must also address other hazards—like intoxicated passengers, overloading, and even carrying animals such as dogs that can trigger panic during transit.”
He also advised the Ogun State Government to establish a dedicated waterways authority and partner with local operators to construct functional jetties that meet community needs. “We can’t afford to build multi-billion naira jetties that serve no one,” he stressed.
The event marks another milestone in the federal government’s drive to promote marine safety, protect lives, and support sustainable development in Nigeria’s maritime and blue economy sectors.
Navy Nabs Three Stowaways Aboard Merchant Vessel Off Lagos Coast
By Okeoghene Onoriobe | Waterways News Reporter | April 21, 2026
The Nigerian Navy has apprehended three suspected stowaways found concealed aboard the merchant vessel MSC STELLA (IMO No. 9279988) in waters off the Lagos Fairway Buoy, in what authorities say reflects the service’s intensified drive to secure Nigeria’s maritime corridors and combat irregular migration by sea.
The interception was confirmed in an official statement released Monday in Abuja by the Director of Naval Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho.
According to Folorunsho, the operation was executed by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, acting on credible intelligence received from the Western Regional Control Centre (WRCC) at approximately 5:05 pm on April 19. A Quick Response Team deployed from Tarkwa Bay successfully intercepted the suspects roughly five nautical miles off the Lagos coastline.
Preliminary investigations indicate the trio illegally boarded the vessel in the early hours of April 17 — around 1:00 am — while the ship was berthed at Tin Can Island Port, Lagos. The suspects have been identified as Aguru Michael, 27, a Benin Republic national; Soye Monday, 25, from Ondo State; and Kentobou Peter, 22, from Delta State. All three were reportedly attempting to reach Europe.
The naval spokesperson noted that the operation once again demonstrates the Nigerian Navy’s resolve to protect lives at sea and disrupt illegal migration through Nigeria’s waterways. He pointed to a string of recent search-and-rescue successes, including the rescue of seven people following a maritime collision in Bayelsa State, and the interception of three foreign stowaways aboard MT ANATOLIA just last month in March 2026.
The three suspects are currently being held at NNS BEECROFT and are undergoing investigation and administrative processing in accordance with applicable laws.
The Nigerian Navy reiterated its unwavering commitment to maritime safety, security, and continuous surveillance of Nigeria’s territorial waters.
Waterways News | Covering Nigeria’s Maritime Domain
EFCC, Customs Close Ranks to Choke Off Smuggling and Money Laundering at Nigeria’s Borders
By Okeoghene Onoriobe, Waterways News, Lagos April 15, 2026
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has thrown its weight behind its growing partnership with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), signalling that the two agencies are tightening their joint grip on smuggling networks and financial crime operations feeding off Nigeria’s trade corridors.
Speaking during a high-level engagement in Kano, EFCC Acting Zonal Director Friday Ebelo said the collaboration is already yielding tangible results — illicit goods intercepted, funds recovered and high-profile suspects arrested. He credited the gains to a deliberate effort by both agencies to understand each other’s operational mandates and align their enforcement strategies.
“No single agency can combat cross-border crime alone,” Ebelo said, stressing that intelligence sharing and joint enforcement are essential to protecting national revenue and disrupting the financial networks that sustain organised criminal groups.
The visit was led by the Commandant of the Nigeria Customs Command and Staff College, Gaura, who brought students for an immersive look at how the EFCC conducts its operations. Gaura commended the Commission’s transparency and operational efficiency, noting that modern Customs work has long outgrown the border post — it now demands intelligence-led financial investigation skills that are built through exactly this kind of interagency exposure.
The engagement covered a lecture on interagency cooperation, interactive sessions on intelligence sharing and joint investigations, and a focused discussion on managing seized assets connected to currency smuggling and financial crimes.
For a country whose ports and waterways remain entry points for contraband — from petroleum products and narcotics to foreign currencies — the deepening of this EFCC-Customs alliance carries direct implications for maritime enforcement. Smuggling routes that exploit Nigeria’s coastline and inland waterways often rely on the same financial infrastructure that both agencies are now working to dismantle together.
Waterways News | waterwaysnews.ng
News
CUSTOMS BUSTS N1BN DRUG HAUL: Over One Million Tramadol Tablets, 10,000 Codeine Bottles Seized on Benin Highway
CUSTOMS BUSTS N1BN DRUG HAUL: Over One Million Tramadol Tablets, 10,000 Codeine Bottles Seized on Benin Highway
By Ighoyota Enaibre
Operatives of the Nigeria Customs Service Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone C, Owerri, have dealt a major blow to drug traffickers after intercepting a staggering consignment of illicit narcotics with a Duty Paid Value of over N1 billion along the Okada/Ofosu Expressway in Benin City, Edo State.
The bust, one of the largest single drug seizures recorded by the unit, yielded 1,025,000 tablets of Tramadol and 10,000 bottles of Barcadin Codeine Syrup (100ml each) — all smuggled inside a truck and cleverly concealed among legitimate goods to dodge detection.
Comptroller Bishir Balogun, who announced the seizure, confirmed that the operation was executed on March 15, 2026, driven by strategic intelligence and coordinated enforcement action.
When customs operatives flagged down the vehicle, the driver made a desperate bid to escape — briefly pulling over before abandoning the truck entirely and fleeing on foot into nearby bushland. A thorough search of the truck uncovered the drugs hidden within the cargo.
The total Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the seized consignment stands at N1,056,000,000.
Balogun stressed that the haul reflects the Service’s firm resolve to choke off the supply of controlled substances fuelling drug addiction and violent crime across Nigeria.
“Smugglers and criminal networks should know that the Nigeria Customs Service will not relent. We will continue to deploy intelligence-led strategies to protect public health and national security,” he warned.
The consignment remains in custody as investigations continue to track down and prosecute those behind the operation.
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