THE Eastern Naval Command of the
Nigerian Navy on Saturday disclosed that it had confiscated 30 ships,
tugboats and baggies in the last six months as a result of criminal
activities, including illegal oil bunkering, on the waterways in the
states under its authority.
Flag Officer Commanding, ENC, Rear
Admiral Henry Babalola, made the disclosure in Calabar, Cross River
State during a regimental dinner to mark the end of the FOC’s first
bi-annual three-day sea exercise which ended on Thursday.
According to the FOC, beyond
confiscation, navy personnel now take further steps to ensure that they
apprehend those behind the crime.
“In the last six months, we have
arrested well over thirty ships, tugboats and baggies. Almost on a daily
basis, my operation men in Port Harcourt, Ikot-Abasi, Calabar, Bonny
and Ibaka go on aggressive patrols and we have destroyed numerous
illegal refineries.
“We have seized equipment and destroyed
several formations and it is a continuous exercise. When we arrest a
ship, our focus is not on the crew because the crew members are doing
their paid jobs.
“We go further to look for those behind
it and our job is to effect arrest, carry out preliminary investigations
and hand them over to the relevant security agencies and will go
further to be witness during trials,” he said.
Babalola, however, lamented that the
major challenge facing the Navy was the high rate of kidnap and
hostage-taking, using the creeks as hideouts.
He expressed optimism that the problem
would soon be tackled with the release of new sets of boats to patrol
creeks in the waterways.
He said, “The major security challenge
facing us on the sea now is the problem of kidnapping and
hostage-taking. I am happy to inform you that the Chief of the Naval
Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin, has allocated some new patrol boats to
combat these activities head on.
“We are also expecting other patrol
boats that are currently undergoing construction in Port Harcourt. When
we have those boats on our waterways, there will be a very significant
reduction in criminal activities.”
The FOC disclosed that the three-day
exercise was aimed at protecting the multi-million dollars offshore
investments in the high sea.
“This sea inspection is the reflection
of the navy day to day duties for the protections of the economic assets
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he added.
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