Navy Seizes 4,000 Litres of Suspected Diesel in Lagos Waters

Just before dawn on a quiet Saturday, a fiber boat drifted near Atlas Cove, loaded not with passengers, but thousands of liters of suspected diesel. It didn’t get far. The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT intercepted it in an operation that highlights the Navy’s growing push to secure the nation’s waterways and clamp down on oil theft.

How it unfolded

• The interception happened early on October 11, 2025, following an intelligence-led surveillance by the Navy’s patrol unit in Tarkwa Bay.

• Using the Falcon Eye facility’s Western Regional Control Centre and the Maritime Domain Awareness system, officers tracked and seized the suspicious vessel near Commodore Pool, within the Atlas Cove area of Lagos.

• Onboard, they discovered about 4,000 liters of a substance believed to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), commonly known as diesel.

Commodore Paul Ponfa Nimmyel, Commander of NNS BEECROFT, represented by Captain Idongesit Udoessien, briefed journalists on the successful interception.

According to Udoessien:

“The patrol team detected and intercepted a fibre boat laden with approximately 4,000 litres of suspected Automotive Gas Oil at the approaches to Commodore Pool within the Atlas Cove general area.”

He added that the suspects fled upon sighting naval personnel.
The seized product has since been handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Lagos for further investigation.

Oil theft and illegal bunkering cost Nigeria billions of naira every year. The Navy’s increased patrols are part of a broader campaign to curb this economic drain.

Captain Udoessien emphasized that the operation reflects the Chief of Naval Staff’s Strategic Directive under Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, aimed at:

• Maintaining a credible presence across Lagos waterways and adjacent creeks

• Eliminating economic sabotage and maritime crimes

• Boosting confidence among legitimate maritime businesses

He issued a clear warning:

“Individuals involved in illicit oil trading and other marine crimes should desist or face arrest and legal action.”