Maritime Security: We arrested 488 ships in 7 Years – Navy

The Nigerian Navy has assured of the safety of the nation’s maritime domain, even as it revealed that no fewer than 488 vessels were arrested for offences ranging from piracy, crude oil theft and other infractions on waterways.

As part of measures to further contain economic saboteurs in the creeks, the Service currently has fifty personnel undergoing special forces training in Poland.

The Director of Information (DINFO), Commodore Adedotun Ayo- Vaughan, who made the disclosures in an interview with New Telegraph over the weekend, said a whole-ofnation approach was still needed, to effectively check economic sabotage in the creeks. He said: “Patrols are ongoing, but the last I know that I was deputy direct operations data for 10 months and i collated data of arrested vessels. “I collated a lot of infractions some minor, some serious, rogue vessels.

“I know that some of them have been releases, some have been forfeited, some constituted a lot of menace to the Navy because these are the issues we talk about . “Some have been handed over to the EFCC, some have been handed over to the police…some were already undergoing court cases to eventual forfeiture to the government or nation.

“For ships arrested so far for various infractions by the Nigerian Navy from 2015 toll date, we have 488. 2021- till date, we have 89.Some have been released, etc”.” He assured that Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones), alongside aircraft, were being deployed, to contain crude oil theft, illegal refining of products, piracy among other maritime crimes.

He said: “So in the area of fleet recapitalsaion, there is so much going on. “We are also having the induction of unmanned area vehicles to our maritime operations.

“As we speak we also deploy Air assets to survey the area very well then pin point those places that our men need to carry out patrol to so that there they go they destroy the police illegal refineries . So artisanal refineries are illegal.

“As we are speaking, Nigerian Navy is building the fourth and fifth locally indigenously constructed sea worth defence boat, we have built sea wealth defence boat 1, 2, 3 so to better the ship building capacity, we have building 4 and 5 and it was flaggedoff by Mr. President and it has been funded to meet up the contract period.

“As we speak, the offshore patrol vessel in Turkey, they have started construction, it’s millions of euros.” Meanwhile, the Navy has said that to effectively man the waterways, no fewer than 150 vessels are required.

‘If you look at the resources in the maritime environment, which is said to be the future for most maritime nations blue economy, that is tapping the resources under the water for the good of the nation.”