The Nigerian Navy has dismantled an extortion ring that had been intimidating fishermen and other waterway users with illegal levies along the Bonny Creek area in Rivers State.
This was revealed by the Director of Naval Information, Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, in an operational update on Tuesday in Abuja.
Captain Folorunsho explained that, acting on credible intelligence, personnel from Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bonny, in collaboration with Nigerian Army troops, raided a criminal hideout in the Asaramatoru community.
The operation forced the suspects to flee, and a subsequent search led to the recovery of several operational items, including a 7.62mm empty magazine, a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) butt, numerous ATM cards, and other items of intelligence value.
Community members disclosed that the criminal group had used the area as a base to launch attacks on fishermen and commuters, extorting residents and demanding proceeds from market sales. The operation has restored confidence among locals and significantly disrupted the criminal syndicate’s activities in the Bonny Creek corridor.
Captain Folorunsho added that the operation yielded valuable intelligence that will aid future efforts to identify and dismantle the broader network operating in the area.
He reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to sustained, intelligence-driven operations to protect coastal communities and assured Nigerians that the Navy will continue to deny criminals the freedom to exploit the nation’s waterways for kidnapping, sea robbery, extortion, and other illegal activities.
