A renewed and reinvigorated efforts of the Nigerian Navy to ensure that the maritime sector doesn’t serve as a conduit pipe for smuggling illicit drugs and perpetration of illegalities, a foreigner has been nabbed by Operation Water Guard personnel in Lagos.
Operating under the Nigerian Navy Ship BEECROFT’s Patrol Team, under the strategic leadership of the Commander Nigerian Navy Ship BEECROFT and Maritime Component Commander, Operation AWATSE, Commodore Kolawole Olumide Oguntuga, successfully intercepted a huge wooden boat, laden with over 120 bags of narcotics suspected to be Cannabis Sativa.
The wooden boat has been confiscated along with its illicit cargo and suspects, identified as Mr. Emmanuel Doedcher and Mr. Godswill John Olamide both from Ghana, and have been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation and necessary action.
At the time of arrest, the illicit drugs weighed about 5,250 kilograms as the two foreign suspects were arrested in the early hours of 7th December 2023 at the Lagos Anchorage.
According to the Base Information Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship Beecroft, Sub-Lieutenant Happiness Collins, said in Lagos on Tuesday that the feat was attributed to the seamless integration of credible human intelligence and effective utilization of the Maritime Domain Awareness Facility, the Falcon Eye Alignment.
She explained that the “Deployment of the cutting-edge technology has consistently delivered positive results, showcasing the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to enhancing maritime security for economic prosperity.
The successful confiscation and subsequent handover underscore the Nigerian Navy’s unwavering commitment to mitigating the impact of drugs, recognized as a catalyst for crimes, violence, and other vices that pose a significant threat to national security.
This operation also aligns with key priorities of the Strategic Directives of Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, Chief of the Naval Staff, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts with relevant stakeholders, institutions, and government agencies, under the principle of burden sharing to curb crime and criminality within the nation’s maritime environment.
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