Nigerian Navy’s Responses to Criminality in the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Domain

Abstract

Given the growing threats and incidents of criminality in the coastal communities and waters off the Gulf of Guinea, the Nigerian Navy is increasingly being looked upon to intervene and restore order. This study investigates the link between resource prosperity, rising criminality, and Nigerian Navy crime response capability in the Gulf of Guinea maritime domain. The study is qualitative research based on secondary data collection method and analytical framework. The security practice strand of maritime security theory was adopted to argue that notwithstanding the rising incidents of criminality and dwindling fortune of the subregion‟s blue economy, the
Nigerian Navy remains undeterred in its onslaught against maritime illegalities. To further consolidate on its successes in the war against criminality in subregion‟s waters, the study recommends among others that the Nigerian Navy sustains the use of intelligence and technology, embrace bilateral and multilateral partnership in sea operations with Navies of proximate and distant states in the Gulf of Guinea waters, subscribe to the rules and regulations of international maritime regulatory bodies, and project its hegemonic powers on the coast and in the waters off the Gulf of Guinea.