The Nigerian Navy on Sunday deployed 10 ships, two helicopters and other assets for a special operation aimed at stamping out piracy, sea robbery and illegal trafficking in the Gulf of Guinea.
Vice Admiral Idi Abbas disclosed the deployment while flagging off Exercise Obangame Express 2026 aboard the Nigerian Navy Ship KADA in Onne, Rivers State. He said the assets would also be used for anti-illegal trafficking of arms and drugs operations, anti-crude oil theft operations, anti-illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing operations, as well as search and seizure procedures.
Abbas said the exercise remains a critical instrument for fostering unity of effort, enhancing interoperability and consolidating a shared resolve to secure the maritime domain against emerging and evolving threats. He added that the core objectives are clear and enduring, and said the navy would deploy maritime domain awareness assets and elements of the Special Boat Service alongside the ships and helicopters.
Exercise Obangame Express was initiated in 2010 by the United States Navy in collaboration with the navies of Gulf of Guinea nations, and it has since served as a strategic platform for coordinated maritime security operations in the region. Rear Admiral P.E. Effah represented the Chief of Naval Staff at the flag-off ceremony, while Rear Admiral C.D. Okehie described the exercise as a major multinational maritime security operation conducted across West and Central Africa.
The annual drill is designed to strengthen regional maritime security cooperation, information sharing, maritime domain awareness and tactical and operational readiness. It also aims to build the capacity of participating navies to counter piracy, sea robbery, illegal trafficking and other illicit activities at sea, making this year’s deployment a direct test of how far the region can turn coordination into control. Abbas said the goal is to consolidate the gains already achieved and build a more secure, stable and prosperous maritime domain for the nations involved.
