Nigerian Navy Disrupts Suspected Militant Financing Network in Cross River

The Nigerian Navy has disrupted a suspected militant financing network at Dayspring Island in Cross River State.

The Director of Naval Information, Commodore Abiodun Folorunsho, disclosed this in an operational report on Friday, June 19, describing it as another major success in the Navy’s ongoing campaign against militancy and criminality within the Calabar waterways.

According to Folorunsho, the operation was carried out by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory, deployed to the Forward Security Outpost on Dayspring Island following credible intelligence on the activities of suspected militants operating within the Ini Abasi fishing settlement in Akpabuyo Local Government Area.

He said, “Intelligence reports indicated that the location served as a meeting point and operational base for criminals who emerged from adjoining creeks to coordinate attacks.

“They would intimidate residents, extort fishermen and maritime transport operators, and perpetrate other criminal activities within the area,” he said.

Acting on the intelligence, naval personnel conducted a targeted raid on the suspected hideout and searched the area thoroughly.

He said, “Although the suspects fled upon sighting the advancing troops, operatives recovered several wraps of suspected cannabis sativa and a handwritten ledger containing names and monetary entries amounting to N5.5 million.”

The naval spokesman added that preliminary assessments suggested the document was used to record illegal levies imposed on fishermen and maritime transport operators in the area.

According to him, the proceeds from the extortion were believed to be a major source of funding for militant operations and other criminal activities within the Dayspring Island axis.

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He said the operation marked a significant step in dismantling the financial and logistical structures sustaining criminal networks in the maritime environment.

“By targeting illicit revenue streams, the Nigerian Navy continues to degrade the operational capability of criminal elements and deny them the resources required to sustain their activities,” he said.

Folorunsho added that naval personnel engaged community leaders and residents to reassure them of a sustained security presence and continued intelligence-driven operations aimed at restoring lasting peace within the waterways.

He reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to aggressive patrols, targeted raids, and community engagement to eliminate criminal networks and ensure legitimate economic activities thrive within Nigeria’s maritime domain.