The Nigerian Navy has deployed 10 ships, two helicopters, and other critical assets in a major crackdown on maritime crimes, including piracy, crude oil theft, sea robbery, and illegal trafficking across the Gulf of Guinea .
The deployment is part of Exercise Obangame Express 2026, a five-day multinational maritime security exercise sponsored by the United States Africa Command. The exercise, which runs from 26 to 30 April 2026, involves over 30 participating nations and was flagged off onboard NNS KADA in Onne, Rivers State, on Sunday .
Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, who was represented by the Chief of Naval Operations, Rear Admiral P.E. Effah, stated that the exercise remains a critical instrument for fostering unity of effort, enhancing interoperability, and consolidating the shared resolve to secure the maritime domain against evolving threats .
The deployed assets, including maritime domain awareness platforms and Special Boat Service (SBS) elements, will engage in anti-illegal trafficking of arms and drugs, anti-crude oil theft operations, anti-illegal fishing, visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) procedures, as well as search and rescue exercises and simulation of hot pursuit .
Abbas noted that Nigeria’s removal from the International Maritime Bureau’s list of piracy-prone countries in 2022 was a testament to the effectiveness of sustained collaborative maritime security initiatives. He emphasised that the Gulf of Guinea remains critical to global trade and energy security, making maritime cooperation essential to regional stability .
The exercise coincides with the Nigerian Navy’s 70th anniversary, reflecting seven decades of dedication to safeguarding Nigeria’s maritime domain .
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