The Nigerian Navy, in a three-day operation, has displayed all its gunboats, war ships and other movable arsenals on waterways located within the Areas of Responsibility (AoR) of the Central Naval Command (CNC).
The navy in a bid to show its strength and dominance in the waterways, with its presence, sends signals to oil thieves, kidnappers, pirates, pipeline vandals and other maritime criminals of its readiness to deal with them.
In the operation code-named, “Exercise Projector” the navy stated its move to intensify patrols, combat all forms of economic crimes and curb illegalities in its operational areas in the Niger Delta region.
The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Central Naval Command (CNC), Rear Admiral Apochi Suleiman was concerned that maritime crimes led to major loss in revenue accruable to the government.
He also pointed out that the destruction of strategic oil installations had affected the economy and security of the Country negatively.
But he assured of the navy’s capability to open up the creeks and chase out miscreants from their hideouts.
He said, “There shall be no hideouts for these miscreants anymore in short time in our operational domains.”
He pointed out that the country in the quest for permanent solutions to the challenges of illegal oil theft and pipeline vandalism in Niger Delta communities.
The FOC revealed that the concluded parade was a means as instructed by the Chief Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Ibok Ibas to identify the hideouts of criminals and flush them out.
He maintained that the exercise would suffocate the activities of criminals whose actions had negatively affected the economy and the environment.
He added that the zero tolerance to oil theft the Navy had sustained over time yielded positive results in the oil sector.
He revealed that the navy would continue regular patrols of waterways in its operational areas to block the entire maritime space to reduce criminalities in the creeks.
The FOC further disclosed that the command received 15 gunboats to enforce to undertake operations in the Niger Delta communities and cautioned hoodlums and sea robbers to stay clear from its operational areas.
He said: “We are going to enforce the patrol of Niger Delta creeks, blocking the entire maritime space to reduce criminal activities and smoke criminals out from their hideouts.
“The Navy has decided to make the business of crude oil theft and the waterways unattractive for criminals.”
He, however, urged community heads, operators of oil companies to report suspicious characters and activities to the command in order to help them fight crime in the areas.
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