Security & Safety
Shipping Nations’ Efforts to Combat Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea
Nigeria’s Anti-Piracy Initiatives
The Deep Blue Project
Nigeria’s most significant counter-piracy effort has been the Integrated National Security and Waterways Protection Infrastructure, commonly known as the “Deep Blue Project.” Launched in 2021 with approximately $195 million in funding, this comprehensive maritime security initiative includes:
- Two special mission vessels
- Three special mission helicopters
- Four unmanned aerial vehicles
- 17 fast interceptor boats
- 16 armored vehicles for coastal patrol
- Establishment of a command, control, communication, computer, and intelligence (C4I) center
- Specialized maritime security personnel trained for rapid response
Legal Framework
Nigeria passed the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act in 2019, marking the first time a country in the Gulf of Guinea region enacted specific legislation to criminalize piracy. This has filled a critical legal gap, enabling the prosecution of pirates with appropriate sentences. By early 2024, several successful prosecutions under this law have sent strong deterrent messages.
Regional Coordination
Nigeria has spearheaded regional cooperation efforts through:
- Leading implementation of the Yaoundé Architecture for Maritime Security
- Establishing joint maritime coordination centers
- Conducting joint naval exercises with neighboring states
- Sharing maritime domain awareness information
Western Shipping Nations’ Contributions
European Union Initiatives
The EU has implemented several programs specifically targeting Gulf of Guinea maritime security:
- The Gulf of Guinea Maritime Security Coordination (GoGIN) project, providing technical assistance for regional information sharing
- The Critical Maritime Routes program, supporting capacity building in law enforcement
- European Naval Forces conducting presence operations and joint exercises with regional navies
- The EU Maritime Security Strategy Action Plan, which prioritizes the Gulf of Guinea
United States Engagement
The U.S. has contributed through:
- The Africa Maritime Security Initiative, providing training and equipment
- AFRICOM-led naval exercises such as Obangame Express, which simulates counter-piracy operations
- Maritime domain awareness support via satellite and intelligence sharing
- Port security enhancement programs
- Coast Guard training teams deployed to build local capacity
United Kingdom Response
The UK has been active through:
- Deployment of HMS Trent to the region for extended maritime security operations
- The Maritime Security Programme, focusing on capacity building
- Support for maritime law enforcement training
- Provision of advanced radar and tracking systems to regional navies
International Shipping Industry Adaptations
The shipping industry has responded with:
- Implementation of Gulf of Guinea-specific Best Management Practices (BMP-West Africa)
- Establishment of maritime security transit corridors
- Industry-funded reporting centers like the Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade – Gulf of Guinea (MDAT-GoG)
- Use of private maritime security contractors when transiting high-risk areas
- Enhanced vessel hardening measures, including citadels and barriers
Joint Multinational Initiatives
Several collaborative efforts have emerged:
- The G7++ Friends of the Gulf of Guinea (G7++FoGG), coordinating international support
- The Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) forum for the Gulf of Guinea
- Maritime Collaboration Forum – Gulf of Guinea (MCF-GoG)
- The Inter-Regional Coordination Centre (ICC) in Yaoundé, Cameroon
- Joint maritime exercises involving multiple regional and international navies
Results and Ongoing Challenges
These combined efforts have contributed to a significant reduction in piracy incidents, with the International Maritime Bureau reporting a 60% decrease in Gulf of Guinea piracy in 2023 compared to 2020 peaks. However, challenges persist, including limited sustainability of funding, need for greater judicial capacity, addressing root socioeconomic causes, and maintaining momentum as pirate groups adapt their tactics.
The most successful approach has proven to be this combination of Nigerian leadership with international support, addressing both operational capabilities and underlying governance issues rather than relying solely on naval presence.
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
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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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