By 
Frank Oshanugor
The Nigerian Navy (NN) said that a total of eight ships, two helicopters, Maritime Domain Awareness facilities and elements of the NN Sea Boat Service (SBS) would participate in the ‘Ex Beni Kekere’ sea exercise.
The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Sanusi Ibrahim on Monday during the Joint Eastern and Central Naval Commands flaged off the sea exercise in Port Harcourt, Rivers.
Rear Admiral Ibrahim said that the sea exercise would also include anti-piracy operations, protection of oil facilities and Search and Rescue operations among others.
“The exercise’s nickname “Beni Kekere” means ‘Water Protection’ in Ijaw language and aptly captures the primary responsibility of the NN, which is to protect Nigeria’s maritime environment against all threats.
“The exercise involves a multi-faceted deployment of the two Commands’ assets both at sea and in the backwaters, and is aimed at demonstrating our operational capability to securing our contiguous Areas of Responsibility.
“Our area of responsibility falls within the Niger Delta region in line with the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Awwal Gambo Strategic Directive 2021,” the FOC said.
Rear Admiral Ibrahim said that the sea exercise equally presents an opportunity to showcase NN’s commitment to the regional security arrangement in the Gulf of Guinea which Nigeria was a major stakeholder.
“Nigeria’s maritime domain is dominant in the Gulf of Guinea with its enormous resources and remains strategic to our national security and development. We are also conscious that these resources have been persistently threatened by piracy, sea robbery, Crude Oil Theft and illegal bunkering as well as illegal unreported and unregulated fishing among other crimes.
“The NN and other security agencies have achieved landmark feats in curtailing these threats. The persistence of the perpetrators requires us to re-strategize in order to consistently deny them freedom of action,” he said.
The FOC said that it was in this regard that the Eastern and Central Naval Commands joint exercise which was first of it’s kind in recent years, organised the sea exercise This is to consolidate on the successes of the ongoing Operation CALM WATERS.
“Concurrently, the operations bases and Naval Security Stations (NSS) in the two Commands will conduct clearance operations against criminals’ hideouts, and illegal refineries in the ‘Backwaters’ in collaboration with Op DELTA SAFE.
“I am positive that the joint Exercise will add impetus to the CNS aspiration for improved maritime combat readiness of the NN through training,” Rear Admiral Ibrahim said.
He pointed out that the sea exercise would equally provide the necessary ‘bite’ to the nation’s anti piracy law that was recently passed by the National Assembly. The Federal High Court passed judgement against 10 notorious pirates arrested by the NN on May 15.
“On behalf of the Eastern and Central Naval Commands, I express our profound appreciation to the CNS for providing the necessary support for the execution of this exercise.
“We shall continue to work assiduously to accomplish the NN quest for a safe and secure maritime environment,” the FOC said.
In the same vein, the FOC, Central Naval Command Rear Admiral Kennedy Egbuchulam said that the reason for the maiden joint operations was because criminals at sea did not respect defined sea boundaries.
“Several times, criminals in the pursuit of their crimes crisscross the defined boundaries between the two Command’s.
“The essence is for us to enhance our collaboration and inter- operability which will give us greater cooperation in the cause of our going after these criminals that operate in our waters.
“Therefore, we will collaborate together such that wherever the criminals are whether in the Eastern or Central Command, we will be good to get at them,” Rear Admiral Egbuchulam said.
Also speaking, Officer in Tactical Command, Fleet Commander, Central Naval Command, Commodore Olusanya Bankole said that the exercise would include six port operational bases pointing out that five of the ships had already departed on Sunday for the sea exercise and that they would be joined by others after the flag off exercise.
“We also have the air assets and elements of the SBS that will be deployed with us and the exercise is of a continuous nature.
“I thank the FOCs for allowing us to deploy the assets under their commands and assure them that the assets will be used justifiably,” the Commodore said.
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