‘ECOWAS Routes Also Enjoy Our Presence’ – Nigerian Navy 

BY EGUONO ODJEGBA

FOB Badagry CO, Capt. Omotayo in exchange of greeting with members of ESMG

The Nigerian Navy has said its presence covers every stretch of the nation’s space as it conducts strategic operation both on sea and land in response to crisis situation or critical security threats that warrants its presence, explaining that as part of the armed forces, its business and duty is to always ensure that the national security and sovereignty is not breached.

Members of ESMG and the leadership of the NN FOB Badagry discussing at the base conference room.

According to the Commanding Officer of the Nigerian Navy, Forward Operating Base Badagry, Capt Leyeh Omotayo, its officers and men are also on standby to respond to any situation affecting movements of goods and citizens within designated ECOWAS space, be it within the Lagos-Abidjan corridor or other designated locations, where peace and security is an issue.

Omotayo who was speaking when he received a delegation of the leadership of the ECOWAS Subregion Media Group who paid him a courtesy visit, explained that the job of the NN does not entertain any form of laxity nor is it opened to any form of negotiation in crushing acts of economic criminalities within the waterways and on the land lying situate within its territory.

The FOB CO who was represented during the visit on Tuesday, July 1, 2025 by the Base Staff Officer, S. Yakubu said the criticality of the NN to the maintenance of peace and security within the nation and the ECOWAS sub region is further emphasized by what is known as the ‘Strategic Directive’ that emanates from the Office of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, designed as a quick response to quell developments  adjudged detrimental to the peace and security of the nation.

One of the major credits to the FOB Badagry was a recent curtailment of attempted trespass by the Republic of Benin Navy into Nigerian territory; believed to have been speedily responded to under the CNS SD as part of the NN Internal Security assignment.

Speaking about various forms of economic criminalities within its territory stretching across the borders, Yakubu explained that most smuggling activities are planned on land before they are executed at the creeks, while some of the smuggled items are also routed through the creeks and rivers; and vice versa.

“We conduct operations in the waters and on land in the area of internal security; be it that of sovreign aggression, economic criminality or social uprising. We start from the brown waters and our men often go there to conduct operation before they go to sea.”

He said that the Base has regularly helped in making seizures both of customs and narcotic goods such as rice and cannabis sativa at the creeks which they later hand over to the Seme Command of the Nigeria Customs Service and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, respectively. In the same vein, Yakubu explained that of recent, the Base rescued three young Nigerian ladies that were been trafficked out of Lagos, and the victims were handed over to the Western Naval Command for onward handover to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons.

“On collaboration, we work with all other government security agencies on this axis and respond to request for enhanced counter action to arrest any security situation”, Yakubu said.

This is even as the Base leadership pledged to partner with Ecowas Sub-Region Media Group, while urging members of the group and the media generally to give greater attention to editorials designed to sensitize and provide a new positive  orientation to the Nigerian youths bracket that criminality is a misnomer.

“The CO who was to receive you personally have to rush out for an important assignment and he asked me to tell you that the Base will partner with you for the ease and success of your task as media practitioners. We regard the role of both the media and NN as an important national duty and we are are willing to collaborate with you.

“The job of the NN is also a very sensitive one and the media  should recognize it for what it is and desist from sensational and negative reports that are capable of creating distrust and or peddling inaccuracies. We thank you for your visit and look forward to working with you.”

Yakubu lamented that the media has unfortunately helped criminally minded youths and individual groups with the propagation of their negative actions, by promoting gains of notorious criminal activities.

“For instance, insurgents in  the north and elsewhere use the media to propagate their heinous crimes, others watching will be tempted to believe that criminality pays; the media should be circumspect on what to promote in its news especially regarding any form of  criminalities, poltical, religious, social or economic. This is the only way to dissuade the younger ones from believing that crimes are gainful or normal, it is a misnomer”, he said.

President of the ESMG, Mr. Ovi Manuel Kuponu who shortly before the visit became indisposed and was represented by Mr. Eguono Odjegba, emphasized the importance of availing journalists firsthand information about developments to forestall misrepresentations and imbalances in their news reportage;  noting that the group acknowledge Navy’s critical role in safeguarding Nigeria’s territorial integrity.

This collaboration marks a significant step towards ensuring that the public stays well informed about the vital work the Nigerian Navy is doing in maintaining national security and combating illegal activities along the country’s sub regional routes, roads and waterways inclusive; in addition to responding to other internal security issues.

The representative of the CO presented a plague to the group as a commemoration of the courtesy visit.