By Sumaila Ogbaje
Building Resilience Against Violent Extremism, Insurgency and Terrorism (BRAVEIT), an NGO, has commended the immediate past Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Awwal Gambo, for the giant strides in the fight against maritime crimes.
BRAVEIT is a non-governmental strategic initiative determined to fill the gap that exists between safety and youth involvement in the fight against violent extremism, insurgency and terrorism in the North East.
The National Coordinator of BRAVIT, Dr Sani Abubakar, in a statement on Saturday said the Nigerian Navy under Gambo recorded huge successes against piracy, oil bunkering and other crimes in the last two years.
Abubakar said the Nigeria’s maritime space was now considerably secure while the country’s international standing had improved dramatically.
He said the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) was included in Nigeria’s maritime zone of interest, which extends beyond her immediate environs, approximately 2,874 nautical miles long, stretching from Angola in Southern Africa to Senegal in West Africa.
“Due to the absence of narrow maritime shipping lanes, straits or chokepoints connecting key global shipping destinations, the region is geographically positioned with a comparative advantage.
“Unfortunately, the GoG’s wealth has the unintended consequence of attracting threats such as piracy, smuggling and abduction for ransom, which continue to threaten the economic vitality of the region’s countries.
“Under the leadership of Admiral Gambo, the Nigerian Navy has established dedicated naval operations and initiatives to counter piracy, sea robbery attacks in Nigeria’s maritime environment, as well as engage in more extensive consultations with maritime stakeholders.
“Several successful anti-piracy operations have resulted from these initiatives.
“Nigeria will never forget how the Nigerian navy acquired the Falcon Eye at a discount.
“Falcon Eye’s satellite-based Automatic Identification System extends beyond Nigerian waters to Cote D’Ivoire in the west, Cameroon in the east, and Angola in the south-east.
“The International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) Global Piracy Report of July 14, 2021 reveals the lowest total of piracy and sea larceny against ships in 27 years.
“In 2021, 11 incidents of piracy were recorded in the GoG, as opposed to 44 incidents in 2020.
“Similarly, there was a decline in pirate attacks and sea robbery in the waters of Nigeria, which reported only 11 pirate incidents and three sea robberies in 2021, compared to 22 pirate incidents and 16 sea robberies in 2020.
“These numbers demonstrate the efficacy of maritime security operations conducted by the Nigerian navy,” he said.
Abubakar said the group deemed it appropriate to congratulate the former CNS for his distinguished service career that had aided Nigeria’s economy in immeasurable ways.
“We wish to use this forum to recognise former CNS, Vice Adm. Gambo, for his exemplary service during his tenure.
“Our expectation is that the new CNS will continue the successes of his predecessor,” he added. (NAN)
