The Nigerian Navy has seized control of Dayspring Island, a former militant stronghold in Cross River State, in a decisive move to tighten maritime security, curb criminal activities and safeguard lives and property across the state’s waterways.
The Navy said its occupation of the former militant stronghold would strengthen security along the state’s maritime corridors, boost commercial activities and provide greater protection for lives and property.
The Flag Officer Commanding, Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Suleiman Ibrahim, who represented the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, disclosed this yesterday at the closing ceremony of the three-day maiden Intra-Command Maritime Tactical Live Firing Exercise, codenamed Exercise Littoral Fury.
Ibrahim said the exercise demonstrated the Navy’s operational readiness and capacity to respond effectively to threats within Nigeria’s maritime domain.
He said the location, which was previously one of the largest militant camps in the area, had now been taken over by the Navy as part of efforts to strengthen security in the waterways.
“This site that we stand on, we all know used to be a militant camp, one of the biggest militant camps. But today, here it is that the Navy has occupied this camp,” he said.
According to him, the strategic location of the base between the Calabar Channel and the Dayspring Channel, which leads towards Cameroon, makes it critical to securing maritime activities and protecting economic interests in the area.
“By the presence of the Navy here, it’s going to increase commerce, it will provide safety of lives and property,” Ibrahim said.
He added that the enhanced security presence would increase public confidence, facilitate commercial activities and ultimately generate more revenue for the Federal Government.
The FOC further disclosed that incidents of kidnapping, abduction and harassment had been curtailed in the area since the deployment of naval personnel.
On Exercise Littoral Fury, Ibrahim said the three-day exercise was designed to sharpen personnel’s combat skills and test their proficiency in the use of various weapons and operational tactics.
He explained that the exercise simulated realistic scenarios that personnel could encounter during maritime patrols, with officers and ratings trained in the use of weapons ranging from 9mm pistols to automatic grenade launchers.
“We’ve used this exercise to also train our personnel, so everybody gets a feel on all of the weapons. We started from the 9mm, that’s the pistol, all the way to the automatic grenade launcher,” he said.
The representative of the Chief of the Naval Staff said the exercise demonstrated “exceptional operational resolve, tactical agility and discipline” across the waters of Calabar and Dayspring Island.
He said the exercise went beyond a display of firepower, describing it as part of the Navy’s broader effort to build a modern, agile and professional force capable of protecting Nigeria’s maritime interests.
Ibrahim said participating gunboats, air assets and operational units tested their weapon systems, strengthened inter-service communication and validated joint littoral manoeuvre doctrines.
He urged personnel to immediately apply lessons learnt from the exercise to their daily patrols and operational duties.
“Rigorous training and realistic operational drills are not optional activities. They are the prize of maritime dominance,” he said.
He also charged officers and ratings to maintain discipline, professional excellence and high standards of equipment maintenance to sustain the Navy’s operational edge against crude oil theft, sea robbery and other forms of maritime criminality.
The Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Chiedozie Okehie, said the exercise was aimed at exposing personnel to realistic operational situations and improving their ability to respond rapidly to maritime security threats.
Okehie said the exercise would also strengthen coordinated responses among security agencies to threats including piracy, sea robbery, illegal oil bunkering, crude oil theft, smuggling and other forms of maritime criminality.
According to him, the choice of Ikang and its surrounding littoral environment was deliberate because of the unique operational challenges posed by the waterways.
“The littoral environment presents unique operational challenges that require specialised skills, appropriate tactics, effective communication and seamless coordination among security agencies,” he said.
Okehie added that the command had continued to deploy technology, innovation and intelligence-driven operations to enhance its capacity to detect and respond to maritime crimes.
In his vote of thanks, Navy Captain Mohammed Lawal commended the leadership of the Eastern Naval Command and participating personnel for the successful conduct of the exercise.
Lawal said the exercise showcased the Navy’s tactical and operational readiness, precision marksmanship and maritime power projection across land and sea environments.
He also commended sister services, security agencies, umpires, local organisers and personnel of the Nigerian Air Force’s 305 Special Mobility Group for their contributions to the exercise.
According to him, participating officers and ratings demonstrated weapon proficiency, physical endurance and tactical discipline throughout the exercise.
Lawal said the exercise had strengthened the confidence of naval personnel in their ability to deter maritime threats and maintain a secure environment within the Eastern Naval Command’s area of responsibility.