In the last seven weeks, the Nigerian Navy said it has recovered stolen petroleum products worth N15 billion and deactivated 172 illegal refining sites in the Niger Delta region.
According to the navy, about 45 suspects have been arrested in connection with the oil theft, which was recorded by the ongoing operation ‘Dakatar Da Barawo,’ which began on April 1, 2022, in collaboration with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Saidu Garba (rear admiral), the Nigerian Navy’s chief of policy and plans, said there has been a decrease in reported cases of piracy and sea robbery within Nigeria’s maritime domain.
According to him, this is one of the reasons why the International Maritime Bureau removed Nigeria from the piracy list (IMB).
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“The criteria for removing Nigeria from the list of countries prone to piracy are that we have not experienced piracy in a given period of time or that the number is “negligible.”
“We’ve only had two failed attempts at piracy in the last year.” The lowest number of piracy and sea robbery against ships in our waters in 27 years, according to the IMB Global Piracy Report released on July 14, 2021.
“I am pleased to inform you that Nigeria has been removed from the IMB’s Piracy List as of March 3, 2022, according to the most recent IMB report.
Nigeria is no longer on the list of countries prone to piracy. The implications for the shipping industry, general maritime commerce, and the national economy are enormous and positive,” he added.
“However, the Nigerian Navy is not resting on its laurels; we are going all out to ensure that piracy does not strike not only Nigeria, but the entire Gulf of Guinea,” Garba added.
He went on to say that the navy has made significant progress, particularly in the areas of fleet recapitalization and operational activities, and that the navy’s continued fleet recapitalization is a top priority.
Garba stated that the navy has acquired several capital ships, fast-moving patrol boats, and inshore patrol craft, as well as air assets and Seaward Defence Boats built in-house (SDB).
He also stated that the Navy Ship Kada would be arriving in the country shortly.
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“Furthermore, the NN recently signed a contract with Turkey’s DEARSAN Shipyard for the construction of two 76-meter high-end offshore patrol vessels” (OPVs).
“The navy is also receiving Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to improve our Maritime Surveillance/Domain Awareness assets, including our NN response capability.” It’s worth noting that work on SDB IV and V has begun at Naval Dockyard Limited in Lagos,” he added.
