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Tag: Navy

  • Navy destroys over 134 illegal refineries in Delta

    The Navy Ship (NNS) Delta State said yesterday it had destroyed over  134 illegal refining sites in the  state in the last one and a half weeks.

    The Commander of the NNS Delta, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu, told reporters  at  Jibo, Warri South-West that illegal refining sites in the community alone  covered a stretch of more than four kilometers of land. He was represented by the Executive Officer (XO) of the NNS Delta, Navy Captain Adeyemi Adewuyi,

    Dewu warned oil thieves and operators of illegal refineries to desist and find legitimate means of livelihoods or face the wrath of the law. He decried the decision  of some people in the Niger Delta to live on crime and continue to waste resources on ventures that will continuously be tracked and pulled down by government.

    He said that although  no arrest had been made yet,  “we are still relying on our informants to get some of the operators of the illegal refineries arrested.”

  • Navy appoints new spokesman

    The Nigerian Navy has appointed a new spokesperson to head its information and public relations directorate. He is Navy Commodore Suleman Dahun.

    A statement signed by the Chief of Plans, Navy Headquarters, Abuja, Rear Admiral O B Daji,  noted that Commodore Dahun had served as Acting Director of the Directorate before he proceeded on course at the Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Jos.

    He replaced Navy Commodore Ayo Olugbode.

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    The statement reads: “The Nigerian Navy has appointed a new Director of Information. He is Commodore Suleman Dahun mni. Commodore Dahun attended the University of Maiduguri where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mass Communication. He also attended Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria graduating with a Masters Degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy.

    “He has attended several military and professional courses both within and outside Nigeria. Some of these include Junior and Senior Staff courses at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji. Commodore Dahun was a member of the Senior Executive Course 40 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Jos.”

  • Military wives empower 188 women

    It was a gathering of senior Army, Navy, Air Force and Police officers’ wives. It was convened by the wife of the Chief of Defence Staff, Mrs Omobolanle Olonisakin. And the occasion was chaired by the wife of the former Chief of Defence Staff, Mrs Fatimah Ogohi.

    The venue was the National Secretariat of Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA) located at Asokoro, Abuja. And inside the hall were graduating students seated in their colourful attires and beaming with smiles and excitement.

    There were other guests, such as the representatives of the Chief of Defence Staff, Commodore A M Adegboyega, and the Special Guest of Honour Hajiya Aminat Modupe Ibrahim.

    The graduating students were especially happy for the empowerment that would cap the ceremony as starter packs ranging from sewing and knitting machines, electricity generators and driers, grinding machines and other items were on display for them to take home.

    They would also be given cash to start up various businesses depending on the areas of their training. It was a programme packaged in the past three years to bring succour and relief to women and widows. Some of the women lost their husbands in war fronts as the nation contend with security challenges ranging from Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) attacks, to cattle rustling, kidnapping and banditry.

    Addressing the gathering, the President of DEPOWA, Mrs Olonisakin said no fewer than 188 students trained in various vocational skills in the past three years have been graduated by the Skill Acquisition and Training Centre being managed by the association.

    According to her, 80 of those successfully trained are widows. They have also been given starter packs to enable them practice what they have learnt and to further empower others in an effort to reduce poverty in the country.

    She added that another batch of 52 students are graduating from the Skill Centre this year, among whom were 11 widows and wives of fallen heroes.

    Mrs Olonisakin who is the wife of the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin explained that the programme was put together to keep faith with “our sincere belief in the development of human capitalin line with our objective of giving succour to the less privileged in the society.”

    She said, “To the graduands today marks the end of your training and what you have learnt while at the center is to prepare you to face the challenges ahead.  We have groomed you to secure your future and in the process be an employer of labour and give livelihood to others too.

    “Hence, I urge you to be bold and courageous and put to use what you have learnt. As it is our custom since the inception of the empowerment programme, apart from providing the widows amongst you with monthly stipends for transportation during the course of the programme,  they will be given trade starter packs and financial assistance to secure a shop as they graduate today”.

     

  • 2019: We won’t be tools in politicians’ hands, says Navy

    The Nigerian Navy has warned its personnel to resist being used by politicians to achieve their unconstitutional targets during the 2019 general elections.

    The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, who gave the warning yesterday at the commissioning ceremony of newly completed projects at the base of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta in Warri, also said any politician caught trying to induce navy personnel for political use would be arrested and prosecuted.

    Ibas, who was represented by the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) the Central Naval Command (CNC), Rear Admiral Suleiman Garba, said the Nigerian armed forces are constitutionally apolitical and would not betray their constitutional responsibilities for any reason.

    The naval chief, who was conducted round the projects by the Commander of the NNS Delta, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu, commissioned a number of works, including the Remodeled Headquarters of the NNS Delta, the renovated parade ground, the renovated Senior Rates Mess and others.

    Speaking on the readiness of the Navy to ensure law and order during the elections, Ibas said: “The first appeal goes to our personnel. We must as a statutory responsibility be apolitical.

    “We the military men must not be involved in any form of politicking. We shall not favour any person or go along with anybody in politics.

    “Our second statutory responsibility is to ensure that when called upon, we give sufficient security to our INEC officials that will be going into the waters.

    “Obviously, they must require security. Our presence there will enable them deliver their electoral materials as required.

    “The third appeal is to the youths. They should not come close to any of our personnel requiring any form of political assistance.

    “Any person that comes to us requiring any form of political assistance, we are going to arrest him because it is against our regulations.

    “On the part of the youths, they should ensure that they go about their democratic rights to vote without any form of violence.

    “We will be called upon to assist any civil authority in ensuring that law and order is maintained during the election period.”

  • Navy shuts down 146 illegal refineries

    The Navy has shut down 146 illegal refineries and seized 23,000 bags of 50kg imported rice and other contraband smuggled by hoodlums.

    The operation was carried out within the territory of the Eastern Naval Command.

    Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) the Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Rear Admiral Adeniran, disclosed this during his address marking the end of the year activities, held at the Nigerian Navy Ship Jubilee (NNS), Ikot Abasi, Akwa Ibom State.

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    Chronicling the achievements of the command for the year, the FOC said the ENC had taken steps aimed at securing the maritime space within its territory from criminal activities.

    “To a great extent, we have successfully deployed ships and boats in order to tackle maritime crimes such as illegal bunkering, crude oil theft and smuggling among others. It is gratifying to state that the command cumulatively patrolled a total of about 135,000 hours.

    “Our patrols have led to the arrest of suspects, seizures of materials and destruction of illegal facilities. These have discouraged illegal activities within Eastern Naval Command Areas of Responsibility. The command through its efforts has been able to shut down more than 146 illegal refineries.

     

     

  • Navy jails three ratings for theft

    •Convicts dismissed

    The Navy has dismissed three of its personnel, who were arrested in June for stealing equipment stored at Mieka Jetty in Warri, Delta State, where they were on guard duty.

    The personnel, Petty Officer Ekong Samuel, Leading Seaman Elijah Sagwada and Seaman Usman Shuaibu, were handed over to the Nigerian Prisons Service, Okere, Warri, to continue a five-month jail term given them by the naval court martial, which tried them in Warri.

    Addressing reporters after the de-kitting of the dismissed ratings at the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta in Warri, the Commander of the NNS Delta, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu, said the Navy would not condone indiscipline; neither would it protect any personnel found wanting.

    Dewu, who explained that the dismissal and sentencing of the erring personnel were done in accordance with the naval rules, said they were not summarily tried.

    He added that they were given fair hearing, allowed to come with their counsel and were dismissed and sentenced after the court martial was satisfied that they were guilty.

    “Sometime in June, some of our personnel keeping duty at Mieka Jetty were caught stealing equipment. When the incident was reported at the base, they were arrested.

    “An investigation was carried out. A court martial was recommended after the investigation and these three personnel from NNS Delta were court-martialled. What you see this morning is the sentence given after the court martial. We are carrying out the naval procedure for a dismissal and we are going to send them to prison after the dismissal.

    “They were dismissed first, after which they were de-kitted and now they are going to serve five months’ jail term. So what we did this morning was to dekit them and then hand them over to the prison service, to continue their jail term.

    “I want to make this statement clear that the Nigerian Navy has never and will never condone indiscipline, especially issues that will bring disrepute to the service. We do not cover any of our personnel caught involved in such cases. This is why today we have dismissed them. We are handing them over to the prison to serve their jail terms,” Dewu said.

     

  • Navy dismisses 3 for stealing Tompolo’s property

     

     The Nigerian Navy on Thursday dismissed three of its personnel over theft of some equipment belonging to Mr Government Ekpemupolo (aka Tompolo) in Warri.

    The dismissed personnel are: Petty Officer Ekong Samuel, Leading Seaman Elijah Sagwada and Seaman Usman Shuaibu.

    Briefing newsmen in Warri, the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS), Delta, Cdr. Ibrahim Dewu, said that the personnel were also sentenced to five -month imprisonment each by the Navy Court Martial.

    According to him, the convicted personnel will be handed over to the authorities of the Nigerian Prisons in Okere, Warri.

    Dewu said that the navy would not shield any of its personnel who indulged in criminal activities.

    He said the affected personnel were apprehended in June at Mieka Jetty, Warri South where they were posted to on keeping duty.

    Dewu said that the convicts were tried in accordance with the navy standard rules.

    He said that sometimes in June, some personnel posted to Mieka Jetty on keeping duty were caught stealing some of the equipment in that jetty.

    “When the report was made to the base, they were apprehended alongside their civilian collaborators.

    “Investigation was carried out and a court martial was recommended to try the three personnel from NNS Delta.

    “What you see today is the sentence that was given after the court martial.

    “We are carrying out the naval procedure for a dismissal, and we are going to send them to prison after the dismissal.

    “They were first dismissed, after which they were de-kitted and now they are going to serve five months jail term in prison.

    “The Nigerian Navy has never and will never condone any case of indiscipline, especially issues that will bring disrepute to the service,” he said. (NAN)

     

  • Navy seizes 834 bags of rice

    •19 arrested

    Men of the Eastern Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, have seized 834 bags of foreign parboiled rice.

    Nineteen suspects were arrested.

    Acting Commander Navy Captain Ajomabi Oride told reporters at the NNS Victory jetty yesterday that the suspects were nabbed in a vessel around Parrot Island on their way to Oron in Akwa Ibom State from Cameroon.

    Oride, who disclosed that three of the suspects were Cameroonians and the rest, Nigerians, said the seized rice was worth about N13 million.

    The Nation learnt that the seized items and Nigerian suspects were handed over to the Nigerian Customs Service, while the Cameroonians were handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service.

    “It is not business as usual for the smugglers. You cannot smuggle foreign rice into the country, knowing that it is banned. We will keep arresting them. We should help the local production to increase. They are saboteurs because the Federal Government policy is clear on that, to improve locally-made rice, so that we can improve on our economy. If you smuggle rice into the country, you are killing the local industry. The media should help us inform the public that foreign rice has been banned, it is not allowed in the country,” Oride said.

    Assistant Controller of Customs Eastern Marine Command Joshua Omachi said the rice would be taken to the government warehouse, awaiting court directive, adding that the suspects would be taken to custody and prosecuted.

    He said: “We have many rice milling industries and rice is grown in virtually every part of the country. Our own rice is even more delicious than imported rice. Information has to get to the nooks and crannies of this nation. Let everybody sit up, so we can stop these things.”

    The Superintendent of Immigration with the Marine Patrol Unit, Odu Nku Nku, who received the Cameroonians, said the foreigners would be profiled and dealt with according to the law.

     

  • Navy arrests six Cameroonians for smuggling contraband rice

    Men of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Victory in Cross River State have arrested six Cameroonians smuggling 700 bags of parboiled foreign rice through the Calabar Channel.

    Also arrested with the Cameroonians, who were in the country without requisite papers, were seven Nigerians, working with them.

    Commander, NNS Victory, Commodore Julius Nwagu, who handed over the illegal immigrants to the Nigeria Immigration Service and the seized rice and Nigerians to the Nigerian Customs Service, at the NNS Victory jetty in Calabar, said the contraband was worth about N11.2 million.

    ”These six Cameroonians got involved in the smuggling of the parboiled rice and they entered into Nigeria without the requisite papers thereby violating the immigrations laws in Nigeria and that is why I invited the Immigration to hand him over while the Nigeria Customs Service will take over the rice and the other Nigerians who are involved in the smuggling.

    “Christmas is coming and people want to make quick money by smuggling in rice into the country but the Nigerian Navy is hell bent on ensuring that the federal government on ban on importation of parboiled rice into the country is upheld.”

  • Navy deploys eight vessels, copters for sea operation

    THE Navy yesterday said it would deploy eight vessels and helicopters for a two-day sea operation in Lagos area, to sustain the gains recorded within western waters.

    Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command (WNC) Rear Admiral Habila Ngalabak stated this at a pre-exercise briefing in Apapa, Lagos.

    According to him, the exercise codenamed, “ANUM BUNENG”, was aimed at addressing present and impending maritime security challenges.

    “The exercise codenamed AMUM BUNENG, which means calm waters in Tangale language, is the fourth quarter sea exercise in 2018 for the WNC.

    “The exercise is part of the navy’s proactive measures to address current and impending maritime security challenges to ensure a secure and calm maritime environment in WNC’s Area of Responsibility (AOR).

    “The objective of the exercise is to test the operational state and capabilities of assigned ships, boats and helicopters as well as project Navy’s presence within the command’s AOR,” he said.

    The navy boss said participants would be exposed to maritime combat, security and assistance operations.

    He said: “The maritime combat operations will involve the conduct of amphibious exercises, riverine operations and gunnery exercises.

    “We shall have maritime interdiction operations, Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS) as well as anti-piracy operations for maritime security; while maritime assistance will involve cover for emergency response at sea, search and rescue operations,” he said.

    Ngalabak said the exercise would be conducted in three phases, adding that the preparatory phase began November 23.

    “Phase two is the execution phase, which will involve the conduct of all the listed operations.

    “The final phase is the termination phase, which will involve the re-assembling of participating ships, patrol boats and helicopters at designated rendezvous areas for entry of the ships into harbour.”

    He advised the public to remain calm, following the heavy buildup of naval assets, which may be sighted during the conduct of the exercise.