“Dark Activities”: NIMASA C4i Uncovers 1,723 Vessels Operating Illegally In Nigerian Waters
LAGOS APRIL 30TH (NEWSRANGERS)-The Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4i) centre of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has uncovered a staggering 1,723 vessels involved in unauthorised activities within Nigeria’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) between January 2024 and January 2025.
These vessels were found to have engaged in what are known as “dark activities” — operations carried out after switching off the Automatic Identification System (AIS), a key maritime safety and tracking mechanism.
The C4i centre, an integral part of the Deep Blue Project housed within NIMASA, functions with the support of multiple security agencies, including the Nigerian Navy, Air Force, Army, Police, and the Department of State Services. Its role is to monitor all maritime traffic entering Nigerian waters and flag any suspicious or unlawful behaviour using advanced surveillance and intelligence tools.
During an oversight visit by the House Committee on Maritime Safety, Education and Administration to the Nigerian Maritime Resource Development Centre (NMRDC) in Lagos, the head of C4i operations, Abdulrasak Lawal, revealed the centre’s findings and the implications for national maritime security.
He explained that the system maintains detailed logs of vessel movements, enabling authorities to identify and follow up on irregular or clandestine activities. These include illegal bunkering, unauthorised fishing, oil theft, and the disposal of toxic waste.
“These vessels, when they enter our waters, switch off their AIS, making it impossible to track their movements,” Lawal said. “There are various reasons a vessel might go dark, but more often than not, it’s linked to illicit operations. Illegal bunkering, illegal fishing, and dumping of hazardous materials are some of the common offences.”
Lawal said that when a vessel is detected operating without an active AIS signal, the C4i centre immediately deploys an aerial surveillance asset to investigate its activities. “Going dark is a criminal offence in itself,” he added. “We have the legal authority to detain any vessel caught engaging in such conduct.”
He also drew attention to the scale of maritime activity in Nigerian waters, which accounts for 47 percent of vessel traffic across the Gulf of Guinea. Between January and April 2025 alone, Nigeria recorded 33,530 port calls — far surpassing other countries in the region. For comparison, Ghana recorded 4,969 calls, Gabon 2,753, Equatorial Guinea 2,196, Benin 996, Liberia 711, and The Gambia 328.
The sheer volume of maritime traffic, Lawal said, heightens the risk of illegal operations and potential attacks, making maritime domain awareness and enforcement efforts all the more critical. As a key member of the Gulf of Guinea community, Nigeria is held accountable by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for ensuring the safety and security of vessels operating within its jurisdiction.
Further data from the C4i centre revealed that a total of 4,016 distinct vessels entered Nigeria’s EEZ within the first four months of 2025, with 166 making their maiden entry during that period.
Despite the mounting security concerns, Lawal affirmed that the C4i infrastructure under the Deep Blue Project has played a pivotal role in monitoring and deterring maritime crimes. He noted with pride that Nigeria has maintained a record of zero piracy incidents in its waters for over a year, a significant milestone for the nation’s maritime sector.
Nigeria NewsDirect
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Posted by News Rangers
on Apr 30 2025. Filed under Business, National.
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