The outgone Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ibrahim Dewu has disclosed that the sustained effective patrols of the Command’s Maritime Area of Responsibility, MAR, helped much in reducing piracy in Nigeria’s eastern waters.
He disclosed this when he handed over to his successor, Rear Admiral Olusola Oluwagbire at the Eastern Naval Command headquarters in Calabar.
He said his Command undertook several ‘clearance and swamp buggy operations’ in the backwaters.
“Such operations considerably reduced piracy in Nigeria’s maritime domain”, he said.
He informed that his command arrested 27 vessels which were involved in illegal bunkering and crude oil theft, as well as 294 illegal refinery sites which were deactivated.
He said the arrests were made between February 4, 2022, to April 11, 2023, when he was the Flag Officer Commanding at the ENC.
“It is noteworthy to state that the Command also recorded significant achievements in infrastructural developments across all the bases and establishments under the Command”.
“Furthermore, across the bases and units, the commanders and commanding officers have embarked on a series of projects towards improving the welfare and security of the personnel.
