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Philip Nwosu
The Western Naval Command, the operational arm of the Nigerian Navy in Lagos has read riot act for sea criminals operating within the creeks in Lagos and the operational area of the force to steer clear or face the wrath of the force.
The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command Rear Admiral Oladele Daji who handed down the warning saying that the pirates and thieves who operates within the Lagos and Ogun States area seek another area of operation of be dealt with adequately.
He spoke shortly after the conclusion of the a naval manouvre tagged: EXERCISE ATAGUN ALAAFIA which translates to mean calm winds, explaining that the exercise was to ensure a very conducive crime free environment for economic activities to thrive.
Admiral Daji who led the exercise said the manuovre was to give bite to ongoing naval surveillance tagged Operation Swift Response, which monitored the water ways to ensure that oil thieves and pirates who constantly hijack vessels are not allowed to operate.
Daji said that the Nigerian Navy would not hesitate to resist any move by the oil thieves and pirates to defy the commands warning, adding that, “My warning to those who carry out illegal activities is that they have no space within the Western Naval Command maritime area of operation to operate.
“For those of them that are stubborn, we will match them and defeat them at their own game.”
The FOC also commended those who participated in the exercise, saying it had largely achieved its desired aims and objectives of sharpening the officers’ skills.
His words: “Let me say that the exercise has largely achieved its desired aims and objectives, which are to sharpen the skills of personnel, to validate the training that they have been given ashore and to ensure that their professional skills are put to test at sea.
“The various exercises that were conducted had generally given sea-farers within Western Naval Command area of operation the assurance that the sea is safe. It is conducive for them to carry out their legitimate activities,” he said.
He said that the exercise was conducted in line with the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas’ vision, noting that six capital ships, 11 boats and two helicopters from the Nigerian Nigeria Air Base in Lagos participated in the exercise.
Earlier the Officer in Tactical Command (OTC) of the exercise, Commodore Elkanah Jaiyeola, who also doubles as the Fleet Commander, Western Fleet commended the officers who participated saying that it was excellently done.
He said: “The exercise has been excellently done in the sense that expectedly on the maritime interdiction operation conducted, that is the visit, board, search and seizure.
“What we call vertical replenishment at sea was also done with one of our ships.
“As far as I am concerned, the essence is to check the effectiveness of our men and their reactions to operations and from what we have seen, I will say that they performed excellently well.”
