₦5.5 Million Extortion Records Recovered as Navy Raids Suspected Militant Base in Cross River

By Zainab Uzomah|Abuja

A handwritten ledger containing records of illegal levies worth about ₦5.5 million has been recovered by the Nigerian Navy during a raid on a suspected militant hideout at Dayspring Island in Cross River State.

According to a statement signed by the Director of Naval Information, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, the operation was carried out by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) VICTORY following intelligence reports on the activities of suspected militants operating within the Ini Abasi fishing settlement in Akpabuyo Local Government Area.

The Navy said intelligence indicated that the location served as a meeting point and operational base for criminal elements involved in attacks, intimidation of residents, extortion of fishermen and maritime transport operators, and other illegal activities within the waterways.

Acting on the intelligence, naval personnel raided the suspected hideout and conducted a search of the area. Although the suspects fled on sighting the troops, the operation led to the recovery of several wraps of suspected cannabis sativa and a handwritten ledger documenting financial transactions amounting to ₦5.529 million.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the ledger was used to record illegal levies imposed on fishermen and boat operators in the area, with proceeds allegedly used to fund militant activities and other criminal operations.

The Navy described the operation as a major step towards dismantling the financial and logistical networks sustaining criminal activities within the maritime environment.

Following the raid, naval personnel engaged community leaders and residents, assuring them of a sustained security presence and continued intelligence-driven operations aimed at restoring peace and security in the area.

The Nigerian Navy reiterated its commitment to intensifying patrols and targeted operations to disrupt criminal networks and protect legitimate economic activities within Nigeria’s maritime domain.