Tag: Navy

THE Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Dele Ezeoba, has approved the redeployment of 266 officers. The redeployment is contained in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, signed by the Director of Naval Information, Commodore Kabir Aliyu. According to the statement, 20 Rear Admirals, 97 Commodores, 99 Captains, four Lieutenant Commanders, 44 Lieutenants and two Sub Lieutenants were affected by the redeployment. The Rear Admirals affected in the exercise are AOA Ikioda, who moves from National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies to Defence Headquarters as Director of Equipment, Standardisation and Harmonisation. Rear Adm. JO Aikhomu, formerly the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, is now Chief of Administration, Naval Headquarters. Rear Adm. IE Ibas, the former Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command, is now the Deputy Commandant, Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji. Rear Adm. IA Oyagha, who was Chief of Administration, Naval Headquarters, is to report at the Defence Headquarters as Director of Development. The statement said that the former Flag Officer Commanding Naval Training Command, Rear Adm. AI Ajuonu, moves to Defence Headquarters as Director of Sports. Rear Adm. DO Osuofa has been posted as Moderator at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, while Rear Adm. SU Chinweuba is to move to the Naval Headquarters as Chief of Naval Engineering. Rear Adm. SI Alade, who was Deputy Commandant at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, is reporting at the Western Naval Command as Flag Officer Commanding. Rear Adm. AA Yusuf has been posted to serve as the Commandant of the Nigerian Navy Engineering College, Sapele, while Rear Adm. OP Ozojiofor is now the Navy Secretary. Rear Adm. LON Iwuoha is to serve as Director of Logistics, Defence Intelligence Agency, while Rear Adm. HO Ngonadi, former Navy Secretary, is now the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command. Rear Adm. HH Babalola has been moved to the Naval Headquarters as Director of Nigerian Navy Transformation Office. Other redeployments include Rear Adm. AA Osinowo, who becomes the new Chief of Training and Operations, Naval Headquarters.

The Navy has installed eight automated, camera-equipped surveillance towers in the waters just off the nation’s coast, in an effort to tackle a surge in pirate attacks and crude oil theft that have blighted Nigeria’s oil production this year.

Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba told journalists late on Thursday that the equipment, most of it from Japan’s Furuno and costing roughly $12 million in total, had high-frequency radio and long-range cameras able to spot ships up to 48 km away.

Pirate attacks off Nigeria have jumped by a third this year as ships passing through West Africa’s Gulf of Guinea, a major commodities route, have come under threat from gangs seeking to snatch cargoes or hold crews for ransom.

Oil theft in the Niger Delta has also seen a relentless rise, although analysts say this has only been possible because of collusion by the security forces.

The data the towers collect is beamed to a central naval intelligence room and then checked against ships’ registration, flag and other information, Ezeoba said in Yenagoa, in a part of the Niger Delta plagued by criminal gangs.

“From the domain awareness centre we can see ships from anywhere in the world coming or leaving our maritime space. It also gives you ability to ascertain the actual threat the vessel poses,” he said.

Four are in Lagos, one each at the Bonny and Brass crude export terminals, one in Yenagoa and one in Ibaka in eastern Akwa Ibom state.

But he added that Nigeria still needed to work on its capacity to pursue pirates and other criminal gangs.

The navy has had two successes against pirates this year – it captured four off the coast of the main commercial hub of Lagos in mid-August and said it killed 12 pirates in a shootout a week earlier.

The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba, has said the Navy should be given more empowerment to perform efficiently, especially in checking oil theft on the waterways.

The Naval chief addressed reporters yesterday in Calabar, Cross River State, after inspecting facilities under the Eastern Naval Command (ENC).

He also inaugurated some projects in the area.

Ezeoba said: “One of the prominent challenges we have and which, to a large extent, determines the efficacy of what we do is that of adequate platforms. We are doing what we can to add value in that regard.

“But as we speak, because of the maritime space, which is huge, to police it would require a lot of platforms. This means helicopters, patrol crafts, seaward defence boats, offshore patrol vessels and, of course, human capacity and technology, would provide us with the requisite surveillance capacity and response initiative.”

The Naval chief also called for the enforcement of prosecution against oil thieves.

He said: “To a large extent, enforcement is also another challenge. Those we have arrested for engaging in acts of illegalities should be prosecuted by courts of competent jurisdiction and appropriate punishment meted out to them. That would serve as a deterrent to others and it would help us to sustain the fight against criminality.”