By Musa Adamu
The Nigerian Navy said last week that it arrested 38 ships over illegal activities in the territorial waters from January 2014 to date.
Chief of policy and plans, at the Naval Headquarters, Rear Admiral Ameen Ikioda, made this known at a news conference to mark the 58th anniversary of the Nigerian Navy.
Ikioda said that eight of the ships belonged to Chinese companies and were impounded for illegal fishing activities in Nigerian waters. He said the navy had been unrelenting in its operations to protect the nation’s maritime environment against all forms of threats.
According to him, the navy constantly carries out surveillance and patrol of the maritime areas with available surveillance systems, ships and helicopter.
He explained that the operations were specifically aimed at checking crude oil theft, illegal bunkering, piracy and sea robbery and illegal fishing, adding that the authorities were encouraged by the success recorded so far.
Ikioda said that naval personnel were also involved in internal security operations in some states, including Adamawa, Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau and Yobe.
He said re-equipping the naval fleet was top priority in the consideration of the authorities, adding that a double-pronged strategy toward achieving the objective had been adopted.
The chief of policy and plans said the navy had acquired some ships from friendly countries, while the force was complementing the effort with local construction of ships.
“In this regard, the United States Coast Guard Cutter Gallatin was transferred to the Nigerian Navy on May 7, 2014 at Charlestone, South Carolina. The ship which has been renamed NNS OKPABANA is expected to sail from the United States in the third quarter of the year to join the naval fleet. In the same vein, the navy has acquired 2×1800-tonne Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) on order from China. One of the OPVs, NNS CENTENARY, is expected to join the fleet before the end of this year,’’ he said.
Ikioda said that about 30% of the OPVs would be constructed in the Naval Shipyard in Port Harcourt in partnership with the shipbuilding yard in China.
He also said that “5xK-47” boats were currently under construction in the Netherlands and would also join the naval fleet before the end of the year.
