The Nigerian Navy has imposed a 13-hour nightly restriction on movement along the Calabar–Oron water channel, stepping up efforts to combat a surge in piracy, smuggling and other criminal activity in the area. The curfew, which runs from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., is designed to tighten surveillance and enable faster response to threats along the strategic route.
The navy said the move is already reinforcing security while reassuring legitimate users that the waterway is being stabilised. Announcing the measure, Director of Naval Information, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said the restriction was necessary to “consolidate operational gains and choke criminal activity” within the Navy’s operational zone.
The clampdown follows a series of aggressive clearance operations led by personnel from Nigerian Navy Ship Victory and Forward Operating Base Ibaka after a spike in kidnappings and related crimes. Naval forces stormed Dayspring Island, forcing suspected militants to abandon their positions and flee under pressure from advancing troops.
Working alongside the Nigerian Army’s 13 Brigade, naval units have since secured key waterways, restricting the movement of criminal groups and tightening control over the area. Follow-up operations uncovered and destroyed a militant hideout in the Idung axis linked to a notorious suspect known as “Juju”, who escaped during the raid.
Two boats fitted with outboard engines were seized at the site, and the facility was demolished to prevent its future use as a base for criminal operations. In a further breakthrough, troops tracked down and arrested a suspected informant believed to have been supporting the militant network.
The suspect is currently in custody and undergoing interrogation, and is expected to be handed over to the appropriate authorities for prosecution as the navy maintains pressure on criminal elements operating along the waterway.