•Navy extends Operation Delta sanity for 90 days

The Nigerian Navy has been tasked to intensify efforts to ensure investment in the professional development of its personnel translates into visible advancement in the security and prosperity of the nation’s maritime interests and blue economy.

The governor said Rivers State is a littoral territory with significant deposits of natural resources that was exposed to seaborne security threats, activities of pirates, kidnappers, and pipeline vandals, which impact adversely on the state and national economies, if not effectively tackled.

He said that is why the state would continue to provide support to the leadership of Nigerian navy to invest on its personnel to ensure a safe and secure environment.

Fubara stated this yesterday shortly after inaugurating the new headquarters of Naval Training Command in Ebubu, Eleme Council of Rivers State.

The governor noted that the event completed a development journey that started in April 2023.

Fubara said that was when his predecessor graciously ceded structures of the abandoned former Ambassador Nne Krukrubo Model Government Secondary School to the Nigerian Navy for use.

Fubara announced the donation of N350m to the Nigerian Navy to support the continuing infrastructure development and operationalisation of the training command in the state.

In his speech, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, represented by the Chairman of, House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Babajimi Benson, lamented that Nigeria loses an estimated 300,000 barrels of crude oil per day to theft, giving the Nigerian Navy a challenge to rise up to its mandate of contributing to the survival of the national economy.

On his part, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, thanked the Rivers State government for the donation of the entire complex to demonstrate the existing cordial relationship between the Nigerian Navy and Rivers State.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Navy has said it would extend Operation Delta Sanity for additional 90 days. The extension, it was gathered, was aimed at forestalling further oil theft in the region.

The Director, Naval Information, Commodore Adams-Aliu, in a statement, said: “The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, extended Operation Delta Sanity for another 90 days. Recall that on January 6, 2024, The CNS launched Operation Delta Sanity to combat crude oil theft. This was in line with the president and commander-in-chief’s directive to eradicate crude oil theft and ramp up Nigeria’s production for an improved economy.

“Accordingly, Operation Delta Sanity was conceptualised as a major anti-crude oil theft operation, the Nigerian Navy personnel, platforms, helicopters and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles were deployed on aggressive surveillance and interdiction operations across the Niger Delta area.

“Additionally, commands, units and bases were directed to conduct both kinetic and non-kinetic operations to stem the tide of maritime criminalities. The operation has denied oil thieves and vandals across various parts of the Niger Delta, freedom of action.

“From Bayelsa to Ondo to Rivers to Akwa Ibom States, and beyond, with the recovery of massive quantities of stolen products, the dismantling of Illegal refining sites, arrest of suspects, seizure of stolen products has underscored the resolve of the Nigerian Navy to stamp out crude oil theft.”