Tackling Maritime Crimes in the Gulf of Guinea through Operation Obangame

Twelve years into the exercise to collaboratively fight against piracy and all maritime crimes by the navies in the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria has shown much commitment to the success of the safety of the nation’s waterways. Blessing Ibunge, who covered this year’s 2022 Operation OBANGAME EXPRESS, which had navies from over 32 countries, reports on the successes recorded 

On Friday March 11, 2022, there was an official flag-off ceremony of Exercise OBANGAME EXPRESS held onboard NNS Thunder. This year’s exercise witnessed participants from about 32 countries onboard their various war ships within their country’s area of responsibilities. This year’s exercise was hosted by Senegal, an African country.
The multinational maritime exercise, now in its twelveth year, was birthed on the need for Gulf of Guinea (GoG) navies and the Coastguards to cooperate for regional maritime safety and security in the furtherance of the Yaounde Code of Conduct. 
The exercise was also designed to improve regional collaboration through joint operations and intelligence sharing, as well as harmonise legal frameworks to enhance the collective capabilities of GoG nation’s against maritime crimes.
The exercise, from its inception in 2010, has grown in both complexity and in accomplishment.

Participating Nations
 Starting out with just nine participating nations in a centralised exercise, OBANGAME EXPRESS has now moved to de-centralised events with about 32 participating nations and about 100 individually evaluated events.
Participating nations include Angola, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Canada, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Italy, Liberia and Morocco.

Others are Namibia, Netherlands, Niger, Nigeria, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo, and the United States. 
The significant part of this year’s exercise was the presence of the US Coast Guard and Her Majesty Canadian Navy ships in the Exercise in Zone E and F respectively. 
This development underscores the importance of Exercise OBANGAME EXPRESS in building requisite human capacity that would foster better understanding and burden sharing especially in a fast changing operating environment.

Inter-agency CollaborationSome of the related agencies that were observers during the exercise, include, Nigerian Customs Service, Nigerian Immigration Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Police Force, Ministry of Justice, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Nigerian Navy’s CommitmentThe exercise according to the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, has positively impacted on the Nigerian Navy’s readiness for combat operation through training while exposing other maritime related agencies onboard to the benefits of inter-agency cooperation and international collaboration.
Recall that last year, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) and Defence Web acknowledged the significant reduction in piracy and armed attacks against shipping in the GoG in 27 years. And recently, IMB report shows that Nigeria has exited the IMB piracy list.
THISDAY, who was onboard this year’s exercise, observed that the Nigerian Navy deployed 10 ships, two helicopters and maritime domain awareness assets, as well as elements of the Special Boat Services (SBS) for the exercise.

Flag-off Ceremony
During the flag-off ceremony at the jetty in Onne, in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, noted that the major objectives of the exercise was to improve security in the GoG and synergies between GoG navies and allied friends.
“This year’s exercise is particularly instructive considering the effort of our governments at operationalising the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. 

“According to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the African Continental Free Trade Area has the potentials to boost Intra-African trade by 33 per cent and cut the continent’s trade deficit by 51 per cent.
“It is expedient that Gulf of Guinea nations create a safe and secure maritime environment to boost Maritime Trade and Commerce. It is thus envisaged that Nigeria and indeed the Nigerian Navy provide a lead role in this regard. 
“EXERCISE OBANGAME EXPRESS 2022 presented that ample opportunity for the Nigerian Navy to work together with regional and friendly foreign navies in the spirit of the Yaounde Accord”.

Gambo who appreciated the US Government through the US Africa Command and other international partners for facilitating and sustaining the exercise over the years, said “the Nigerian Navy under my watch remains committed to eradicating act of criminality in the nation’s maritime domain and by extension the Gulf of Guinea for legitimate soci-economic activities to thrive for the well-being of our people”.

NNS Thunder and Achievements Recorded during the Exercise 
Just as the exercise was ongoing, it was expected that the navy should also be on duty at its area of responsibility in the sea. The formation was expected to deal with all forms of maritime crime, ranging from human trafficking, drug trafficking, oil theft (transporting illegal oil products), large scale illegal fishing on the sea, sea pirates, arms smuggling and arm trafficking, operation on rescue of man overboard, etc.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Navy during the exercise, arrested two troika vessels carrying out illegal fishing within five nauctical miles along the GoG, a Cotonu wooden boat loaded with suspected illegally refined petroleum products, alongside seven suspects who were conveying the products.
Also, during the navy’s operation within Bonny axis on Wednesday night, a tanker ship loaded with petroleum products was arrested alongside 13 suspects.
According to Olusanya Bankole, the Fleet Commander, Central Naval Command and Officer in Tactical Command of Exercise Obangame Express 2022, who spoke during the arrest, that the Cotonu Boat with seven suspects onboard were arrested along Sam Brerio River Mouth. 
Bankole who also revealed that the vessels were apprehended within the Central Naval Command Area of Responsibility of Nigerian Navy, disclosed that the tanker ship was arrested in Bonny water.
He stressed that the crime committed by the suspects was economic sabotage to the country, assuring that the navy will continue to protect the nation’s wealth by stopping every illegal businesses in the sea. 

Bankole revealed “The exercise recorded some arrest; the navy arrested and handover to the concern agency for further investigation and possible prosecution. During our time at the sea we made four arrests, over 20 persons were arrested and they have been handed over to the prosecuting agencies”.

The fleet commander stressed that in order for Nigeria to maximise its effort, the Chief of Naval Staff approved the conduct of the exercise in the Central Naval Command Area of Responsibility.

Bankole explained “because the central Naval Command has most of the offshore asset; Oil and Gas asset and national strategic asset of the Nigerian Navy, they are dominated in the central Naval Command area of responsibility. 

“So our area of exercise covers the whole area of command area of responsibility and the fringes of the whole area of command and Eastern Naval Command because alot of activities are going on. So the exercise basically is for training, for synergy and for us to test our men.

“We have done many exercises on human trafficking, drug trafficking, anti piracy, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. It’s going to be days of active training in collaboration with our friends from other agencies. But at the same time as we are training, we are actually on operation on patrol. 

“Our Chief of Naval Staff has given a candid instruction that at any particular point in time there must be at least two naval ships to respond to any eventuality. As we are doing this now, most of the bases are being policed. The CNS has zero tolerance for every form of illegality in the Nigeria waters.”

Quote
“It is expedient that Gulf of Guinea nations create a safe and secure maritime environment to boost Maritime Trade and Commerce. It is thus envisaged that Nigeria and indeed the Nigerian Navy provide a lead role in this regard”