Security & Safety
Nigeria Marks Three Years Without Piracy, Unveils Major Maritime Reforms – Oyetola
Nigeria has sustained three consecutive years without any reported piracy incidents in its territorial waters, a milestone credited to the Deep Blue Project, according to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola..
Speaking at a one-day stakeholders’ engagement held Thursday in Lagos, Oyetola emphasized that maritime security remains a central pillar of the ministry’s mandate, adding that the nation’s progress in securing its territorial waters has attracted global commendation and contributed to regional maritime stability.
He further disclosed that Nigeria’s offer to host the African Union Combined Maritime Task Force in Lagos has received formal endorsement from the AU Peace and Security Council.
Commending the collaborative efforts of stakeholders across the maritime sector, the Minister affirmed their alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which he said is repositioning the sector for national economic growth.
“The creation of the Marine and Blue Economy Ministry and the recent approval of its national policy are landmark reforms,” he stated. The policy, he explained, spans a wide range of focus areas including port infrastructure, maritime security, aquaculture, ocean governance, marine biotechnology, renewable energy, coastal tourism, and climate resilience.
Oyetola noted that the stakeholder engagement was a working session aimed at developing actionable frameworks, setting clear priorities, and assigning institutional responsibilities.
“We must enhance coordination, ensure accountability, and build capacity across all operational levels,” he emphasized.
Providing updates on recent developments, the Minister announced that a Nigeria-flagged vessel docked at Tincan Island Port on July 2 with 359 containers onboard, showcasing progress in local shipping capacity.
Since the ministry’s inception in 2023, Oyetola said significant progress has been made in collaboration with its agencies to deliver on key ministerial targets. He revealed that an evaluation by the Presidential Policy Office and CRDCU rated the ministry’s performance at 75 percent by the end of 2024.
He credited this success to the dedication of the ministry’s Delivery Task Teams and urged them to maintain excellence.
On infrastructure, Oyetola confirmed that contracts have been approved for the rehabilitation of the Apapa and Tin Can ports, while procurement processes are ongoing for eastern ports. He added that digital solutions such as the Port Community System and E-Call-Up System would help curb delays and boost investor confidence.
The Minister also highlighted efforts to strengthen indigenous shipping capacity, including the revival of a National Carrier through a public-private partnership. He noted that NIMASA is preparing to disburse the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund through a transparent and accountable process.
“When operational, the fund will provide a significant boost to Nigerian shipping operators,” Oyetola assured.
He further noted progress in revenue generation, operational efficiency, leakage reduction, and the attraction of private capital across the sector.
On inland waterways, Oyetola praised the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) for enforcing the 2023 Inland Waterways Transportation Regulation and launching a nationwide water safety campaign. He said over 42,000 life jackets had been distributed, alongside the deployment of ferries and patrol boats, and the training of safety marshals—efforts that have contributed to a reduction in boat mishaps.
Representing the Comptroller-General of Customs, Comptroller Patrick Ntadi called for deeper stakeholder commitment to the development of Nigeria’s maritime resources.
Also speaking, Dr. Odunayo Ani, President of the Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) Nigeria, lauded the ministry for the launch of the National Marine and Blue Economy Policy. She described it as a clear commitment to ocean governance, economic diversification, job creation, and sustainability.
Ani emphasized the importance of public-private collaboration in delivering the national blueprint and assured that women’s groups such as WISTA will continue to support the ministry through advocacy, training, and partnerships.
Former President of the Ship Owners Association, Chief Greg Ogbeifun, also commended the ministry’s achievements and called for greater private sector involvement.
Similarly, Mr. Godfrey Nwosu, General Secretary of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), applauded Oyetola for implementing policies that have removed operational bottlenecks and improved efficiency across the maritime sector.
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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