Nigerian Navy Strengthens Security Along ECOWAS Routes With Strategic Operations

The Nigerian Navy has affirmed that its presence extends across every stretch of the nation’s territory as it conducts strategic operations both at sea and on land in response to crisis situations or critical security threats that warrant its involvement. As part of the armed forces, its duty is to ensure that national security and sovereignty are never breached.

According to Capt. Leyeh Omotayo, Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) Badagry, officers and men are on standby to respond to any situation affecting the movement of goods and citizens within the designated ECOWAS space—whether along the Lagos-Abidjan corridor or other key locations where peace and security are at risk.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by the leadership of the ECOWAS Subregion Media Group, Omotayo emphasized that the Navy’s operations tolerate no laxity and do not entertain negotiation when it comes to combating economic criminality within the waterways and land areas under its jurisdiction.

Represented by Base Staff Officer S. Yakubu during the visit on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, Omotayo highlighted the critical role of the Nigerian Navy in maintaining peace and security within Nigeria and the wider ECOWAS subregion. This is reinforced by the ‘Strategic Directive’ issued by the Office of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, designed to enable rapid response to threats detrimental to national peace and security.

One notable achievement of FOB Badagry was the recent successful prevention of an attempted incursion by the Republic of Benin Navy into Nigerian territory, a swift response carried out under the CNS Strategic Directive as part of the Navy’s internal security mandate.

Yakubu explained that most smuggling activities are planned on land before execution in the creeks, with some contraband also routed through waterways and rivers. “We conduct operations in the waters and on land focusing on internal security—whether sovereign aggression, economic criminality, or social unrest. Our operations start from the brown waters, where our men often conduct patrols before moving to the sea.”

The Base has regularly seized customs and narcotic goods such as rice and cannabis sativa at the creeks, handing them over to the Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, respectively. Recently, the Base also rescued three young Nigerian women who were being trafficked out of Lagos; the victims were handed over to the Western Naval Command for onward transfer to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.

“We collaborate closely with other government security agencies in the region and respond promptly to requests for enhanced counteraction to any security threats,” Yakubu added.

The Base leadership pledged to partner with the ECOWAS Sub-Region Media Group, urging media practitioners to focus on editorials that sensitize and positively influence Nigerian youths against criminality.

“The Commanding Officer, who could not receive you personally due to an urgent assignment, asked me to convey that the Base is committed to partnering with you to ensure the success of your work as media professionals. We regard the roles of both the media and the Navy as vital national duties and are ready to collaborate,” Yakubu said.

He also cautioned the media against sensationalism and negative reporting that could foster distrust or spread inaccuracies. “Unfortunately, some media coverage has inadvertently glorified criminal activities, encouraging impressionable youths. Insurgents and criminals use the media to propagate their heinous acts, tempting others to believe that crime pays. The media must exercise discretion in reporting criminal activities—political, religious, social, or economic—to dissuade young people from viewing crime as profitable or normal. It is a misnomer,” he stressed.

Mr. Ovi Manuel Kuponu, President of the ECOWAS Subregion Media Group, who was represented by Mr. Eguono Odjegba due to illness, underscored the importance of providing journalists with firsthand information to prevent misrepresentation and imbalance in news coverage. He acknowledged the Navy’s critical role in safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

This collaboration marks a significant step toward ensuring the public remains well-informed about the Nigerian Navy’s vital work in maintaining national security and combating illegal activities along the country’s subregional routes, roads, and waterways, as well as responding to other internal security challenges.

The Commanding Officer’s representative presented a plaque to the group to commemorate the courtesy visit.