The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Gabriel Olonisakin, has commended the Federal Government for its determination towards curbing maritime insecurity with an additional provision of 30 inshore patrol boats for the Nigerian Navy.
The Defence Chief stated this at the flag-off of the 2015 Chief of Naval Staff Sea Exercise at the Federal Ocean Terminal in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
The annual exercise is designed to work up the ships and personnel in line with the Nigerian Navy doctrine of operations.
According to the CDS, “with the new acquisition of the gun boats, Nigerian Navy is combat-ready to tackle crude oil theft, piracy and pipeline vandalism effectively in the creeks along the nation’s maritime domain”.
On his part, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Ibok -Ete Ibas, assured government of policing the nation’s commonwealth along the maritime domain.
He noted that 139 illegal oil refineries have been destroyed since July 2015 till date.
The Navy Chief expressed confidence that with the new acquisition of the boats and more expected before the first quarter of 2016, the Nigerian Navy would dominate the country’s brown waters to create a secured area for legitimate economic activities.