By Ajibola Adedoye
In a string of daring operations that underscored its reputation as a formidable shield of Nigeria’s maritime borders, the Nigerian Navy Forward Operating Base (FOB) Badagry has dealt a decisive blow to smugglers, human traffickers, and drug cartels operating along the country’s western waterways.
Between July 18 and August 20, 2025, naval personnel launched relentless patrols and precision raids across the Badagry–Porto Novo corridor, Tongeji axis, Akoro Beach, Owode-Apa, Gbaji, Iyafin, and adjoining creeks. The results, by every measure, were remarkable: 823 bags of foreign rice seized, 13,965 litres of smuggled fuel confiscated, 50 wraps of narcotics recovered, and eight victims of trafficking rescued from the grip of exploitation.
The tide began to turn in late July, when coordinated patrols swept through Tongeji Creek, Moba Waterside, and Badagry–Porto Novo Creek. Smugglers, attempting to sneak 823 bags of foreign parboiled rice through covert channels, were outsmarted and overpowered. Their illicit cargo, meant to infiltrate Nigerian markets and sabotage the economy, was intercepted before it could poison local commerce.
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Not long after, between July 29 and August 2, the Navy tightened the noose around petroleum smugglers. At Owode-Apa, Ashikpa, Akoro Beach, and the Tongeji axis, naval units confiscated a staggering 13,965 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) intended for illegal export to Benin Republic. In an uncompromising act of duty, the contaminated product was destroyed to prevent its return into circulation.
Perhaps the most gallant victory came in the battle against human trafficking. Between July 23 and August 8, the Badagry patrol teams uncovered a sinister network using the riverine corridor to ferry unsuspecting victims into lives of forced labour and prostitution.
Eight victims, many lured by false promises of greener pastures abroad, were rescued in the nick of time. Two traffickers were captured, including Mr. Godwin Benard Ifeanyi, the alleged mastermind of the ring. The victims, profiled and comforted, were handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for care and family reunification. The Navy’s swift intervention spared them from a fate of exploitation and despair.
In another audacious move, on July 25 naval operatives stormed a suspected drug den at Jegeme, unearthing 50 carefully wrapped parcels of cannabis sativa. The raid dismantled what could have fueled addiction and crime in border communities, reinforcing the Navy’s resolve to deny criminals a safe haven on Nigerian soil.
True to its tradition of accountability, on August 21 the Base formally handed over the seized rice to the Nigeria Customs Service and the recovered narcotics to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), cementing its role as both protector and partner in Nigeria’s wider security architecture.
The Commanding Officer, Navy Captain B.O. Omotayo, attributed the successes to the unwavering commitment of personnel and the vision of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, whose Strategic Directive 06–2023 has become the Navy’s compass in combating economic sabotage and cross-border crime.
From smugglers of fuel and rice to human traffickers and drug syndicates, the message from Badagry is clear: the Nigerian Navy will neither relent nor retreat in its duty to safeguard the nation’s borders. With grit, gallantry, and unyielding professionalism, FOB Badagry stands as a bastion against threats to Nigeria’s maritime security.
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