Nigeria, Oct. 12 -- Nigeria's maritime security deserves attention after 9.6 tonnes of cocaine were seized off the West African coast on 22 September 2025. The interception, conducted by the French Navy with support from the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), highlights how drug trafficking networks are increasingly using the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria's maritime backyard, as a major transit route.

The seizure, confirmed by both French authorities and AFRICOM Public Affairs Office, underscores the growing threat that illegal narcotics pose to Nigerian ports, waterways, and coastal communities-as well as to law enforcement and national governance.

In a statement on 2 October 2025, AFRICOM confirmed that its support "led to the seizure of almost 1...