The Nigerian Navy Ship BEECROFT Quick Response Team, under the leadership of Commodore Kolawole Olumide Oguntuga, who also is the Commander and Maritime Component Commander, Operation AWATSE, has recorded notable success in the interception of substances suspected to be Cannabis Sativa at the Ibeju-Lekki and Alaba Rago areas in Lagos.
The interception was made during the routine intelligence led patrol by the Quick Response Team, enhanced by the Maritime Domain Awareness Facility, Falcon Eye Alignment.
The team intercepted a large wooden boat at Ibeju-Lekki, laden with 64 bags of Cannabis Sativa weighing over 2,500KG. In the course of the routine patrol, credible intelligence led them on a targeted raid around Alaba Rago, where over 23 wraps of narcotics suspected to be a derivative of Cannabis Sativa also known as SK was successfully intercepted in the early hours of the 14th of January, 2024.
The tireless efforts of Nigerian Navy Ship BEECROFT has come in highly commended, as they have maintained the curbing of the influx of narcotics into the country especially through the Lagos maritime environment. They have maintained this status quo by collaborations with key security agencies and the recovered narcotics have been handed over to officials of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA) for necessary action.
According to Commodore Oguntuga, the Navy is well equipped to completely rid the Nation’s waterways of the illegal influx of narcotics and other economic sabotage activities. He harped on the dangers of narcotics as the base of violence, crime, ill gotten wealth and many health dangers especially mental health.
This bold move once again shows the commitment of the Nigerian Navy in fulfilling its’ constitutional mandate under the Chief Of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral EI Ogalla in securing the nation’s maritime space and maintaining a drug free nation to boost national development and economic prosperity.
