Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has donated the state-owned Marine University at Ossemotor, Oguta Council Area, to the Navy.
Governor Okorocha announced the donation when the committee on the New Naval Base in Ossemotor, visited him at the Government House in Owerri.
According to him, the government earlier donated a 200-bed General Hospital at Ngor-Okpala to the Navy.
“We have donated the 200-bed ultra-modern hospital at Ngor-Okpala because we know the Navy is a disciplined force and will probably run the best military hospital, which will be benefit the people.
“We have now donated the marine university at Oguta, which is under construction, to the Navy. The university has the most beautiful location for the Navy. We started this project as marine university but we believe the proper institution to handle it, with the naval base, is the Navy. “We have donated the land and undertake to complete the project, which can take about 1,000 students and 1,000 officers when completed. We are waiting for you to resume classes so contractors can return to site.
“The Navy coming to Oguta will develop the waterway to Lagos, thus helping tourism to flourish, with Oguta Lake which will soon get a facelift. It will equally make the area secured.
Commodore Obenta, who led the visit, conveyed the Chief of Naval Staff’s gratitude for the donations.
He promised the Chief of Naval Staff will establish a port at Oguta and quicken the smooth take-off of the university, noting that a strong committee has been raised for that purpose.
Tag: Navy
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Okorocha donates varsity to Navy
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Navy takes free medical outreach to Ajegunle
Residents of Ajegunle have benefitted from the Nigeria Navy’s (NN) second quarter health awareness. They received free HIV screening yesterday.
The screening, organised by the Western Naval Command (WNC), held at the boundary interstate motor park. Beside tests and counselling, insecticide-treated mosquito nets and condoms were given free.
The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Rear Admiral Ferguson Bobai, said the outreach was part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), adding that the command chose the location because most residents around might not agree to paid screenings.
“This year, we decided to go to boundary and target places like motor parks for free HIV screening and counselling. We talk to them on how to prevent diseases and where to get help.
“You will agree with me that these category of people, to some extent, live recklessly. They wouldn’t submit themselves to screening. So, we took the screening to them because we believe that some people would be motivated to do it. Anyone who tested positive can at least get counselling on how to properly manage it,” he said.
The command’s medical officer, Surgeon Commander Ugochi Nzeribe-Abangwu, lamented that HIV was still prevalent in the country, noting that Nigeria was second in its prevalence, according to the United Nations statistics.
“The activity is aimed at testing and counselling participants. Those who test positive will get free treatment at the navy hospital. We have kits for over a thousand people. We would also distribute free mosquitoes nets to the people.
“It’s a week long programme and there will be lectures on illnesses like substance abuse, meningitis, depression, among others.” -
Navy, NIMASA sign MoU on service delivery
The Nigerian Navy on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for effective and efficient service delivery.
The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, said the signing of the MoU had become imperative because of the importance of the nation’s maritime domain.
Ibas said the first MoU that was signed between the two organisations yielded a remarkable achievement.
This, he said, necessitated the review of the MoU to continue to work together to protect the nation’s assets from crude oil thieves and other criminals.
He said the first quarter of 2016 witnessed an unprecedented high rate of crime in the nation’s maritime domain but due to the collaboration of the two organisations, the crime was drastically reduced.
Ibas said the service needed more support from sister agencies to enable it to carry out its professional responsibility of safeguarding the nation’s maritime domain and other responsibilities.
He expressed optimism that intelligence, facility and information sharing would go a long way in assisting the service to carry out its professional responsibilities.
The Director-General of NIMASA, Dr. Dakuku Peterside, expressed delight at the signing of the MOU, saying it would avail the two organisations with yet another opportunity to continue to safeguard the nation’s assets.
Peterside said the major responsibility of NIMASA was to safeguard the maritime domain and rid it of illegal activities and making the environment conducive for legal activities.
NAN
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Senate seeks police, military collaboration to rid Lagos of kidnappers
The Senate Tuesday resolved to ask the Federal Government to mandate the Nigeria Army, Navy and other security agencies to assist the Police in its quest to rid Lagos State particularly the creeks in Lagos East Senatorial District of criminal syndicates making use of its waterways to perpetuate crime.
The upper chamber also urged the government to direct the inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris, to immediately instruct the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, to beef up the strength of the task force already constituted in order to effectively secure all the affected creeks and communities.
It also advised the government to direct Mr. Idris to immediately make available sufficient helicopters for aerial surveillance and gunboats to the Marine Police department of the Lagos State Police Command to enable the State Command to effectively tackle the activities of militants in Lagos State.
The resolutions followed the adoption of a motion on “the urgent need for the Nigerian Police Force and other security agencies to intervene in the increased rate of kidnapping in the Lagos East Senatorial District and securing the water ways.”
Senator Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East) who sponsored the motion in his lead debate noted recent increase in the activities of criminal syndicates who specialize in kidnapping/militant activities in and around communities in the Lagos East Senatorial District, particularly Kosofe, Epe, Ikorodu, Ibeju Lekki Local Government Areas.
Ashafa expressed concern that the activities of the criminals have forced law-abiding residents of coastal/riverine communities of the affected communities to flee their communities and livelihood out of fear.
He further expressed concern that on Friday, 7th April, 2017 one Mr. Ademola Salami, a 42 year old plank dealer was kidnapped in Ise community in Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos East Senatorial District by seven dare devil abductors, who escaped in a gunboat via the river.
The abductors, he said, were demanding the sum of N100 million as ransom for his release.
Ashafa said that “the situation is now so bad that even prominent citizens of Ise community, including HRM, Kabiyesi Onise of Ise, Oba Ganiyu Adegbesan, has had to vacate the community due to the level of insecurity in the area.”
He said that it is disturbing that for the past seven years, a divisional Police station commissioned in Ise had been a ghost of itself as no police officers were deployed there until the recent attack.
He recalled that a publication had the report of the case of two sand dredgers who were kidnapped in Ibeju Lekki by kidnappers that also stormed the community in a gunboat.
Ashafa further recalled that between April and July, 2016 there were reports of militant activities in some communities in Ikorodu, including Elepete, Agbede, Ishawo and Igbo-Olomu, which led to the death of residents.
He said that the militants were equally reported to have stormed the communities through the creeks using gunboats.
The lawmaker said that he is “alarmed that the recent kidnap incidents have assumed a totally new and disturbing dimension in the sense that just yesterday, 9th April, 2017 an army Captain, identified as Muhammed, two other rank soldiers, four policemen, and a civilian lost their lives after suspected militants attacked Ishawo, in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.
“The late security operatives were responding to a distress call after the militants stormed and kidnapped some residents of Woodland Estate, close to the Ishawo creeks with about 10 speedboats according to reports relayed online.
“It was also reported that other innocent citizens who were seriously injured are now receiving treatment at the Ikorodu General Hospital,” he lamented.
He said that it is obvious that the activities of the criminal syndicates have caused untold hardship to the people of Lagos East Senatorial district and the intervention of the Federal Government is urgently required.
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Abia to partner Navy on security
Abia State Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has restated his administ-ration’s eagerness to partner the Nigeria Navy to enable the state achieve internal security.
Speaking in Umuahia, the state capital, while receiving a delegation of the Navy led by the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Naval Training Command Apapa Lagos Rear Admiral Ifeola Mohammed, Ikpeazu appreciated what the navy is doing in terms of ensuring that Abia remains one of the safest states in the country.
Ikpeazu who was represented by his Deputy Sir Ude Oko-Chukwu said that the state is at the forefront of championing the made in Nigeria products, adding that his government had at inception ensured that goods produced in Abia state are of high standards.
He said that it was the reason that brought about the shoe clusters and leather garment in Aba which has the capacity of producing enough shoes for the Nigerian Army, Navy and NYSC members and urged them to take advantage of the cluster and its products.
Ikpeazu commended officials of the Nigeria Navy further for their plans to expand its facilities in the state which will lead to improvement on the infrastructural development and security of the state.
He assured them that his government would do all in its power to enable them achieve their expansion drive as well as remove all the bottlenecks involved in the issuance of certificate of occupancy.
Earlier the FOC, Rear Admiral Mohammed said they are on a working vist to the state to ascertain ways of collaborating with the state government on the way forward especially in the area of internal security.
Admiral Mohammed however thanked Governor Ikpeazu for his support of the Nigeria Navy in the discharge of her constitutional roles in the area of infrastructural development in the state and donation of utility vehicles to the college.
The FOC restated the commitment of the navy in supporting the efforts of the state government in ensuring effective security of lives and property in the state and appealed to government to assist them complete the ring road within the Finance and Logistics college at Owerrinta and a guest house in Umuahia.
He said that there is need for the state government and the naval school at Owerrinta to have a synergy towards flushing out criminals in the state and thereby create an enabling environment for the made in Nigeria products to thrive.
Admiral Mohammed maintained that the pride of the state which is the made in Aba products need all the required security for those who would want to patronize them to come and make the state increase its isn’t ally generated revenue.
He said that his visit was approved by the Chief of Naval Staff, adding that the navy has the plans to establish Admiralty University at its current college at Owerrinta, “This university when operational will also admit Abia indigenes and increase the number of graduates in the state”.
In his reaction on the visit of the FOC to The Nation, the commandant of the College, Navy Captain Abdullahi Aminu said that he appreciates the Chief of Naval Staff and the FOC for their support in the fight against criminals in the state.
Capt Aminu said that security of the environment and the state they operate in is paramount to the navy and pledged to work harder in the fight against criminality in the state, while warning criminals to relocate or face their Waterloo.
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Navy arrests eight suspects, destroyed 30 illegal refineries
The Nigerian Navy operating in the Niger Delta region has arrested eight suspected illegal oil marketers while destroying at least 30 illegal refineries in Delta state.
In a series of intensified anti-crude oil theft operations, Nigerian Navy Ship NNS DELTA discovered and destroyed a total of 10 illegal refineries at a camp around Jones Creek, Warri South West LGA of Delta State.
The facilities destroyed during the raid include 200 metal tanks, 35 dug pits loaded with about 3,000 metric tons (MT) of product suspected to be stolen crude oil and 1,500MT of illegally refined AGO.
In a statement signed by the Acting Director of Information, Navy Captain Suleman Dahun in Abuja, a patrol team deployed by the Base arrested a suspect and destroyed a network of 6 illegal refineries around Ugbodede and Asugbo Creeks in Warri South LGA. The facilities destroyed in the sites during the raid include 25 metal tanks and 14 dug pits laden with about 2,590MT of product suspected to be stolen crude oil and 415MT of illegally refined AGO while one suspect was arrested.
Navy Captain Dahun said another patrol team deployed for anti-illegal bunkering/crude oil theft operations by the same naval base arrested two suspects and destroyed a network of illegal refineries around Ugbodede Creek in Warri South LGA. The facilities destroyed in the raid include a canvas storage pit laden with about 1,500MT of product suspected to be stolen crude oil. The team also discovered and disconnected a 6 inch metal pipe attached to an oil well used for siphoning crude oil.
The Navy spokesman said NNS DELTA patrol team discovered and destroyed about 20 illegal refineries dump yard stores around Ugbuwangue Community in Warri South LGA. The facilities destroyed in the raid include 1,300 drums laden with about 150MT of products suspected to be illegally refined AGO.
“In a similar operations carried out by patrol team deployed by NNS PATHFINDER around marine Base axis, a wooden boat laden with some quantity of suspected illegally refined AGO was arrested. Four suspects were also arrested in connection with the products.
“Also, a patrol team from the Base deployed at Taraba Jetty intercepted another wooden boat laden with an estimated 50,000 litres of suspected illegally refined AGO with four suspects. The vessel and suspects have been handed over to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for further action,” Dahun said.
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‘Western Naval Command healthiest in the Navy’
The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command (WNC), Rear Admiral Fergusson Bobai, has described his personnel as the healthiest in the Navy.
Bobai made the assertion based on the command’s performance at the just concluded 11th Navy Games in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where it emerged overall winner with 69 Gold, 69 Silver and 49 Bronze medals.
Hosting the contingent to the games at the weekend in Apapa, Bobai noted that his command beat the runner up with over 30 Gold medals.
According to him, emerging the winner and having competitors, who surpassed all time record in one of the sports, was an indication that his personnel were mentally and physically fit.
He urged them to sustain the tempo, noting that those who emerged victorious would be called upon to represent the navy at the Armed Forces Games and other international competitions.
Bobai said: “We are celebrating because the Nigerian Navy (NN) just concluded the 11th Navy Games and the command with overall best performance was mine. We won with 69 Gold, 69 Silver and 49 Bronze medals.
“Using that as a parameter, I would say my command is the healthiest because we gave the next command over 30 Gold medals gap. It shows we are physically and mentally sound.”
Hailing the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Admiral Ibok-Ette Ibas for hosting the games, Bobai noted that the last time Navy games held was in 2011 at Kaduna.
He said: “For us at WNC, it was a good initiative because it provided an opportunity to showcase our skills. If CNS had not provided the platform for competition, we wouldn’t have known we were blessed with talents that produced the results we got at the games.”
One of the record breakers at the competition was a female Rating, Seaman Esther Omoseni, who won eight Gold medals in swimming.
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Navy dismisses seaman for alleged illegal drug possession
The Navy has dismissed a seaman for alleged illegal drug possession.
Seaman Haruna Umar was dismissed and handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) after a court martial found him quilty of possessing 14.55kg of marijuana.
The suspect was arrested in June last year after he was caught with the drugs.
A statement signed by the spokesperson for the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, Lieutenant Elizabeth Ibrahim, warned the public not to transact business with him.
She said: “On June 7, 2016, Seaman H. Umar, with force number X13555, was arrested for being in possession of about 14.55kg of illicit substance suspected to be canabis sativa.
“He was summarily tried and the legal review of the trial indicated that the accused was properly charged and due process was complied with during the trial.
“He was found guilty and the sentence of dismissal was awarded to him for peddling illicit drugs. Accordingly, the ex-rating was handed over to the NDLEA for necessary action.
“This is to inform the public that the ex-rating is no longer a member of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Anyone who transacts business with him does so at his or her own risk.”
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Navy intercepts boat with 80 bags of smuggled rice
The Nigerian Navy said it had intercepted a boat carrying 80 bags of rice allegedly smuggled into the country from Benin Republic through water ways.
A statement by the spokesman of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT, Lt. Elizabeth Ibrahim, said the operatives attached to its Forward Operation Base (FOB), Badagry, intercepted the rice.
The statement reads: “A wooden boat being used to ferry the bags of rice was also intercepted by naval operatives while on a patrol at the Iyana-Ipaahi water ways around the Badagry creeks.
“The Commanding Officer, FOB Badagry, Capt. Abdulhakeem Ojebode, who handed over the seized bags of rice to the personnel of the Nigerian Customs, said the suspects jumped into the river on sighting the naval operatives. The operation also goes in line in supporting the Nigerian Customs in its duty of ensuring that smugglers don’t use our waterways to bring items adjudged contraband into Nigeria.”
The statement also quoted the Deputy Comptroller Enforcement, Western Marine Command, Nigerian Customs, Mr Usman Abubakar, as commending the effectiveness of the navy’s intelligence gathering.
“I appeal for continuous assistance from the navy to reduce smuggling to the barest minimum,” Abubakar said.
He warned smugglers to desist from sabotaging the efforts of the government in revamping the economy.
“The command will not relent in dealing with persons who decide to test the will of the customs and other security agencies,” he said.
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NAF destroys Boko Haram camp in Gwoza
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) struck a Boko Haram Terrorist (BHT) location at Tagoshe/Mandara Mountain general area about 10km Southwest of Gwoza .Intelligence report by Sister surface forces had it that remnants of fleeing BHTs were gathered at the location.The report was confirmed by NAF Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft before combat platforms were called in to strike the location.The Director Of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, said follow-up battle damage assessment confirmed that the air attack was successful as shown by the declassified footage of the operation.