By Kingsley Omonobi
The Nigerian Navy has handed over a suspected militant collaborator to the Department of State Services (DSS) in Calabar following ongoing security operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks operating along the Calabar waterways.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Director of Information, Navy Captain Abiodun Folorunsho, said the suspect, Mr. Ime Edet Ekiko, popularly known as Pastor Ime, was arrested on May 24, 2026, by personnel of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory deployed at the recently established security outpost on Dayspring Island in Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State.
According to the Navy, the arrest followed credible intelligence linking the suspect to a wanted militant identified as Simeon, alias Papi, who had been operating within the Dayspring Island axis.
Folorunsho said intelligence reports indicated that the militant fled the area following sustained operational pressure by NNS Victory and allegedly left some operational assets in the custody of the suspect before escaping.
Subsequent investigations, he said, revealed that the suspect allegedly maintained regular communication with the fugitive militant and provided information on the movement and deployment of security personnel operating in the area.
The Navy further alleged that the suspect concealed and kept equipment believed to have been used in support of militant activities along the waterways.
“Further exploitation of the suspect’s mobile devices and interrogation established that he had maintained a longstanding relationship with the militant and had allegedly provided support over an extended period,” the statement said.
Investigators also found that the suspect was allegedly using assets abandoned by the militant for personal business activities.
Following preliminary investigations, the suspect was formally handed over to the DSS for further investigation and possible prosecution in line with existing laws.
The Navy described the development as a significant outcome of ongoing security operations launched after the establishment of a forward operating security outpost on Dayspring Island in response to rising incidents of kidnapping and other criminal activities along the Calabar-Oron waterways.
Folorunsho said sustained intelligence-driven operations and increased security presence in the area had continued to degrade the capabilities of criminal elements, disrupt their support networks and improve security within the waterways.
He reaffirmed the Navy’s commitment to maintaining pressure on criminal elements and their collaborators to ensure lasting security and create an enabling environment for legitimate economic activities in the maritime domain.
