Navy Deploys Gunboats In Rivers’ Creeks To Combat Criminalities

The Nigerian Navy has assured residents of Rivers State of their safety, disclosing that its personnel remained physically fit, strategically deployed, and fully equipped to stamp out criminalities across the state’s waterways and creeks.

It said that it had stepped up patrols in the creeks and waterways, deploying gunboats and working closely with other agencies to keep the state and its environs safe.

The Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, Commodore Cajethan Aniaku, who addressed newsmen during the third quarter route march in Port Harcourt, said the Navy has also partnered with relevant authorities to regulate water transport activities.

He said: “We have our men deployed in all the strategic creeks and locations in the state to ensure we stamp out criminalities. We collaborate with other security agencies to ensure that everywhere is safe. We have deployed our men on the waterways and we ensure regular patrols on the waterways,” he explained.

“We have gunboats patrolling, and we collaborate with agencies like the National Inland Waterways Authority to ensure that the maritime unions and water transport operators follow the appropriate rules and regulations,” he added.

“On achievements, we have made sure that the security of Rivers State is well safeguarded and that there are no challenges anywhere. We collaborate with all the agencies to ensure that Rivers State is safe and secured for the economy to thrive,” he said.

Aniaku, who was represented by the Executive Officer, Navy Captain Abubakar Sani, said the exercise was to boost personnel’s physical fitness and enhance synergy with sister security agencies.

“The essence of the route march is to ensure that Nigerian Navy personnel are physically fit and healthy to perform their constitutional mandate, which is safeguarding the territorial integrity of Nigeria,” he said.

The Commander, who stated that the exercise demonstrated that naval personnel were ever ready for deployment anywhere in the country, said: “Our men are physically fit to be deployed anywhere and at any time.”