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The Nigerian Navy has intensified its offensive against maritime crime in the South-South, destroying a suspected militant camp in Cross River State and rescuing three passengers from suspected sea robbers in Akwa Ibom State in separate operations.
The operations, carried out by the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory and the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Ibaka under the Eastern Naval Command, are part of ongoing efforts to rid Nigeria’s waterways of criminal elements and enhance maritime security.
Speaking to journalists in Calabar, the Base Information Officer of NNS Victory, Lieutenant Commander Sulaiman Bala, said troops raided a suspected militant hideout at the Ine Ikoridung coastal settlement in Bakassi Local Government Area of Cross River State.
Bala explained that the intelligence-led operation targeted the hideout after credible reports indicated that militants displaced from their former camps on Dayspring Island had relocated to the remote coastal settlement to regroup.
According to him, naval patrol gunboats swiftly deployed to the area, cordoned off the settlement and conducted a thorough search of huts believed to be occupied by the suspected militants.
“The suspects fled on sighting the approaching naval boats, abandoning several items at the camp,” Bala said.
Items recovered during the operation included five empty cartridges, a military camouflage vest, a police camouflage vest, a military pullover, a military jungle hat and a notebook containing records of suspected militant fighters previously arrested, as well as the correctional facilities where they are serving prison terms.
Following the operation, naval personnel destroyed the identified hideouts to prevent the suspected militants from returning to the location.
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Bala said sustained military pressure had continued to limit the activities of militant groups operating within the nation’s maritime domain, stressing that the Navy remains committed to safeguarding coastal communities and maintaining security along Nigeria’s waterways.
In a related operation, personnel of FOB Ibaka rescued three passengers from suspected sea robbers during a routine patrol in Akwa Ibom State.
According to a statement by the Eastern Naval Command, the rescue mission was launched after the patrol team received a distress call at about 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 29, reporting an attack around the Mbendoro waters.
The Navy said the team successfully rescued a passenger boat transporting tomatoes and its three occupants—identified as David Okon, Anietie Friday and David Edet—who were travelling from Cameroon to Oron in Akwa Ibom State when they came under attack by suspected sea robbers.
The victims were safely escorted to the Forward Operating Base, Ibaka, without any casualties.
The Eastern Naval Command reaffirmed its commitment to sustained maritime patrols, rapid response to distress calls and intensified operations against piracy, sea robbery, illegal bunkering and other maritime crimes within its area of responsibility.
The latest operations, the command said, underscore the Nigerian Navy’s resolve to secure the nation’s territorial waters, protect legitimate maritime activities and strengthen security across the Gulf of Guinea and Nigeria’s coastal waterways.
