Operatives of the Nigerian Navy’s Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Ibaka, Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State have intercepted a syndicate engaged in illegal maritime activities, arresting 14 individuals and impounding a vessel used in their unlawful operations.
Capt. Uche Aneke, the Commanding Officer of the base, revealed to journalists on Wednesday that the apprehended group, including four Ghanaians and 10 Nigerians, were caught within the vicinity of the Calabar channel, located within the maritime boundaries of Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
The operation resulted in the seizure of a vessel named MFT – LAMU 1, bearing the registration number LA 799, which was actively involved in illegal trawling within the Calabar channel.
Capt. Aneke noted that such actions contravene fisheries laws, prompting the Navy’s intervention to enforce maritime regulations.
Detailing the sequence of events leading to the arrests, Capt. Aneke said, “The suspects were cautioned against disembarking from the vessel while armed sentries were stationed onboard for security. The incident came to our attention following a report from the Eastern Regional Control Center in Calabar, which flagged the vessel for illegal fishing activities within the five nautical miles offshore of the Calabar channel.”
He reiterated the FOB’s unwavering commitment, operating within the Eastern Naval Command Area of Responsibility, to uphold Nigeria’s maritime laws and ensure the sustainability of the coastal waters for national development, aligning with the strategic directives from the Chief of the Naval Staff.
Upon receiving the suspects and the impounded vessel, Mrs Stella Auforo, a Fisheries Officer at the Federal Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture in Calabar, commended the Nigerian Navy for its efforts in safeguarding the maritime waters. She assured that the Department would conduct a thorough investigation into the matter by the Harmonised Standard Operating Procedure (HSOP) on Arrest Detention and Prosecution of Vessels and Persons in Nigeria’s Maritime Environment, 2016.
“The Federal Department of Fisheries will take further action in line with provisions of the Harmonised Standard Operating Procedure (HSOP) on Arrest Detention and Prosecution of Vessels and Persons in Nigeria’s Maritime Environment, 2016,” she said.
