Ibas: Navy Drastically Reduce Piracy, Criminality in Niger Delta

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Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS),Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, has said that the Nigerian Navy and its sister security agencies have drastically reduced piracy and other criminal activities in the Niger Delta region.

Ibas, who was represented by the Chief of Training and Operation of the Navy, Rear Admiral Adeyinka Osinowo, stated this on Saturday at Mogadishu Barracks, Abuja, while fielding questions from journalists after the Third Quarter Route March for personnel of the Service.

He noted that the Naval special anti-piracy approach codenamed Operation Tsera Teku has been a huge success since it was launched early this year at the height of piracy activities in the nation’s maritime area.

He said: “We have sharpened our skills as well as operational concepts. You are probably aware that we have derived a new concept, two-point management control . We have a dedicated anti- piracy operation also in the past two months.

“And all these have to a reasonable extent decimated the undesirable spate of attacks that we noticed in the early part of this year, and we have limited attacks within the onshore and of course, attacks on the oil and gas infrastructure offshore.”

Speaking further, the CNS also said that through collaboration with other security agencies, significant progress has been made in the protection of the nation’s oil and gas facilities located within the onshore and offshore of the Niger Delta region.

According to Ibas, “What you have seen is the result of a number of concerted efforts ranging from the strategic level to the tactical level involving our boys and gunboats boats in the creeks as well as offshore”.