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By Philip Nwosu
The Nigerian Navy has called for stronger intelligence sharing and cooperation among maritime stakeholders to sustain security in Lagos waterways and protect legitimate commercial activities.
The Navy said effective communication and timely reporting of suspicious activities would enable security agencies to respond swiftly to emerging threats and prevent criminal elements from undermining maritime safety.
The Commander of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, Commodore Aiwuyor Adams-Aliu, made the call during a maritime stakeholders’ meeting in Apapa, Lagos, organised to promote the vision of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, and strengthen collaboration among organisations operating within the Western Naval Command’s area of responsibility.
Commodore Adams-Aliu said the initiative was driven by the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abubakar Mustafa, to bring together stakeholders and ensure a common understanding of the Navy’s security priorities.
According to him, the objective is to maintain a maritime environment that is free from crime and conducive to legitimate commercial activities.
“Legitimate commercial business should be encouraged. It is criminality that we are discouraging,” he said.
He explained that companies, government institutions and other organisations operating within Nigeria’s maritime domain needed to understand the focus and operational priorities of the Western Naval Command and Nigerian Navy Ship Beecroft.
Addressing concerns about sustaining the currently calm security situation in Lagos waters, the Commander, NNS BEECROFT, identified intelligence sharing and effective reporting channels as critical to preventing a resurgence of criminal activities.
He said stakeholders should promptly report suspicious movements and security concerns to the police, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Nigerian Navy through NNS Beecroft.
The officer also acknowledged concerns raised at the meeting about the security situation around Ogogoro village, noting that maintaining peace in the maritime environment would require continuous vigilance and cooperation.
He stressed that security agencies could respond more effectively when they received timely and credible information from organisations and communities operating within their jurisdictions.
According to him, improved coordination would enable the relevant agencies to combine their resources and respond collectively to security threats.
He added that sustained cooperation among maritime stakeholders and security agencies would benefit Nigeria by protecting commercial activities and strengthening security across the country’s maritime space.
The meeting brought together representatives of relevant institutions and organisations to discuss maritime security challenges and develop stronger channels of communication between stakeholders and security agencies.
The Navy reiterated its commitment to working with partners to prevent maritime crime while ensuring that legitimate businesses could operate safely in Lagos waters.
Earlier, the Commander, NNS BEECROFT, also reported the arrest of suspected drug peddlers during joint security operations conducted with other law enforcement agencies as part of efforts to combat drug trafficking, smuggling and other criminal activities in Lagos State.
According to him, the command has introduced measures to translate the vision of the Chief of the Naval Staff into operational successes, with emphasis on protecting Nigeria’s maritime interests and supporting national security.
He said the security situation in Lagos waters was currently calm but required continuous monitoring to prevent criminal activities.
He identified smuggling and attempts at illegal migration through stowing away aboard commercial vessels as some of the major maritime security challenges confronting the area.
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Giving details of the Navy’s operations, he said the command had confiscated several consignments of cannabis and other illicit substances and handed them over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further action.
Among the seizures, he said, was a van containing five bags of cannabis weighing 480 kilogrammes, intercepted around the Akurio-Oshu area of Pamuga Odovi on February 18, 2026.
He added that illicit substances, including Canadian Loud, tramadol and codeine, were confiscated at Gidan Drama in Apapa on February 21 and 26.
The Navy also intercepted five bags of cannabis weighing nearly 500 kilogrammes in the Akurio-Oshu area on April 7, while two bags weighing 192 kilogrammes were seized at Ikare Island on April 13.
Another major seizure occurred on July 15, when naval personnel confiscated 11 bags of cannabis weighing 756 kilogrammes from a whaling boat off Alpha Beach.
The naval officer said the command also rescued 25 stowaways during the period under review and handed them over to the Nigeria Immigration Service.
He listed the incidents to include the rescue of two stowaways aboard MV Cispan Lahore at Lagos Anchorage on March 19; three Ghanaian stowaways aboard MV Anatolia at Lekki Deep Sea Port terminal on March 29; and three others, comprising two Nigerians and one Beninese, aboard MSC Stella at Lagos Anchorage on April 19.
Other rescues included five stowaways aboard MT China Fire Prince Happiness at Lagos Anchorage on June 17 and nine aboard MT Evgenia at Takwa Bay on August 20.
Three additional stowaways were rescued aboard MV Mes Calaba at Lagos Fairway Point on September 14.
Mustafa further disclosed that the Nigerian Navy Ship Beecroft had conducted joint operations with the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NDLEA and other agencies operating within the Lagos State security framework.
He said the operations targeted drug trafficking, other illegal activities and enforcement of restrictions on commercial motorcycles in designated areas of Lagos State.
The operations, he added, led to the arrest of two suspected drug peddlers at Gidan Drama in February and nine others at Agumalu, among other locations.
The Flag Officer Commanding stressed that effective maritime security required cooperation with communities on land, noting that criminal activities on waterways often had links to activities within surrounding settlements.
He said the Navy wanted to establish a more reliable system through which maritime stakeholders and residents could report suspicious movements, security incidents and emerging threats.
According to him, the arrangement could include designated security contact persons, agreed communication channels, standardised incident reporting procedures and timely feedback between the Navy and partner organisations.
Mustafa said naval officers had made their contact details available to stakeholders to facilitate communication and improve the response to security threats.
He urged participants to strengthen collaboration to keep Apapa and the surrounding maritime environment safe, particularly as the country approaches the yuletide season and the next election period.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for community representatives and other stakeholders to discuss security concerns affecting Apapa, a major port and commercial centre in Lagos State.
The Navy reiterated its commitment to working with other security agencies and local communities to protect Nigeria’s maritime interests and curb criminal activities within the Western Naval Command’s area of responsibility.
