Okenyi Kenechi
As part of its constitutional mandate aimed at securing the creeks and waterways in the Niger Delta, the Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS Pathfinder, on Tuesday, said it has taken delivery of 14 gunboats from its headquarters.
This is as the Navy denied allegations of any involvement in illegal oil bunkering in some coastal communities in Rivers State.
The Navy said it is rather committed to ending the illicit activity in the Niger Delta region.
Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS), Pathfinder, Commodore Samson Bura, who stated this while addressing newsmen at its base in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, said the gunboats would enhance policing of the creeks and waterways in the state and other parts of the Niger Delta.
Bura was reacting to a recent allegation by an online newspaper that the Navy had closed its eyes to illegal oil bunkering in Bille community, Degema Local Government Area of Rivers State, despite having an operational base there.
Bura explained that the Navy headquarters consistently provided the base with the needed platforms to operate effectively in the Niger Delta, but said its operatives could not be everywhere in the creeks and waterways.
“The Navy cannot be deployed everywhere in the waterways here. I earlier mentioned to you that within Port Harcourt alone, there are over three thousand creeks and adjoining waterways. So we cannot be everywhere.
“We have our deployments in some strategic areas and other sister security services have their own deployment. So it is a joint effort. So, to cover the entire place we require a lot of resources.
“The Naval headquarters has just given us additional 14 gunboats in addition to what we have previously and that is a massive addition to our resources,” the Commander, NNS Pathfinder said.
He also said the operation Delta Safe had contributed equipment and personnel to stamp out criminal elements in the waterways.
