Nigerian Navy gets two extra ships to secure country’s maritime environment – Matawalle

The Nigerian Navy gets two extra ships to help strengthen its capacity to secure the country’s maritime domain, according to Bello Matawalle, Minister of State for Defence.

Matawalle, who did not specify the number of ships recently purchased by the Navy, stated that the platforms will also be extremely useful in the ongoing fight against crude oil theft, illegal refining, pipeline vandalism, and piracy.

According to a statement issued Saturday night by the Ministry’s Director of Press, Victoria Agba-Attah, Matawelle began this at the Passing Out Parade of Batch 34 Trainees of the Nigerian Navy Basic Training School in Onne, Port Harcourt.

“The Minister of State for Defence lauded the efforts of the Nigerian Navy in acquiring additional platforms to boost her fighting power against criminalities and illegalities within Nigerian territorial waters and the Gulf of Guinea,” it said.

“The newly acquired platforms would help the Nigerian Navy enhance its dominance and impact in the fight against crude oil theft, illegal refining, pipeline damage, piracy, and illegal unreported unregulated fishing operations.”

“The additional platforms would considerably increase the reach and coverage of the Nigerian Navy’s patrol capabilities within the recently built backwaters and inland waterways, FOB LEKKI, FOB EKPE, naval Base OGUTA, NOP TARKWA BAY, and NOP SHAGUNU.”

The Minister charged the 1,865 trainees of batch 34 to uphold the Nigerian Navy’s basic values.