CENTRAL NAVAL COMMAND LAUNCHES MAJOR MARITIME SECURITY DRILL TO COMBAT PIRACY, OIL THEFT

The Central Naval Command on TUESDAY 2 December 2025 flagged off Exercise EBI‑TORU, (Sea Protection) in Ijaw a large‑scale inter‑agency maritime security exercise aimed at sharpening Nigeria’s response to piracy, crude oil theft, smuggling, and other threats within the nation’s maritime domain.

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In his address at the flag‑off ceremony, the Flag Officer Commanding Central Naval Command Rear Admiral Suleiman Ibrahim underscored the economic imperative of securing Nigeria’s waters, noting that the maritime sector handles the bulk of the country’s trillion Naira international trade.
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‎“The maritime domain remains the lifeblood of our economy,” he stated. “Yet, we face evolving threats including illegal fishing, armed trafficking, drug smuggling, and sea robbery. Exercises like EBI‑TORU allow us to identify gaps, close vulnerabilities, and validate our operational readiness.”
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The drill involved ships, Helicopter, Gunbooats and personnel from the Nigerian Navy alongside sister agencies including the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigeria Police, National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and Nigeria Customs Service. Activities over the coming days will include coordinated patrols, protection of critical national infrastructure, vessel‑boarding drills, anti‑piracy operations, and search‑and‑rescue simulations.
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‎The FOC described the exercise as both a readiness test and a preparatory step toward the Chief of the Naval Staff’s 2025 Annual Sea Inspection slated for Lagos.
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The FOC also acknowledged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Idi Abbas for continued logistical and policy support, which they said has enabled recent operational gains.
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‎Despite deploying maritime domain awareness systems and patrol vessels, the FOC admit that criminal activities at sea have persisted, particularly around the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea. Exercise EBI‑TORU is seen as a tactical effort to improve real‑time coordination among security agencies before crises emerge.
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‎“We must sustain a credible naval presence to secure our waters for national prosperity,” the Flag Officer Commanding told personnel. “I charge all participating units to strive toward the objectives of this exercise.”
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‎The launch reinforces the Navy’s ongoing effort to implement the CNS Strategic Directives 2023‑6, which prioritizes maritime security as integral to Nigeria’s blue economy ambitions.
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