By Philip Nwosu
The Nigerian Navy has warned pirates and oil thieves within the Nigerian maritime environment to steer clear of the territorial waters of the country, as it will no longer be business as usual.
The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Mike Oamen, who gave the warning, said the Nigerian Navy has been strengthened by the present manoeuvre of the force with 26 nations, code-named EXERCISE GRAND AFRICAN NEMO and has been energised by the exercise to do more.
His words: “What we did within this one week was to train and build capacity to ensure that continually, we are ready to ensure that we discharge our constitutional responsibility of ensuring a safe maritime space for national development, and I want to state here that yes, all the ships that participated did excellently well, and our personnel have again built capacity to ensure that anytime they are called upon, they will deliver as mandated.”
Admiral Oamen said that the Nigerian Navy, in collaboration with her international partners, is ready to ensure every vessel in Nigerian waters is safe, explaining that the Nigerian Navy is poised to ensure that the Nigerian maritime environment would no longer be safe for illegality to thrive.
The FOC spoke during the debrief of the exercise, which was given by the Officer in Tactical Command, Commodore I Mohammed-Katsina, explaining that the Grand African NEMO 2024 is an annual naval exercise that was aimed at boosting maritime security across the Gulf of Guinea.
Commodore Mohammed-Katsina said the event, involving 26 Gulf nations and strategic partners from Europe and the Americas, ran from November 4 to 11, 2024, focusing on collaborative efforts to address transnational maritime threats.
During the national phase of the exercise, Commodore Mohammed-Katsina said the Nigerian Navy deployed four ships—NNS KADA, NNS ABA, NNS CHALAWA, and NNS NGURU—alongside specialised units, including the Nigerian Navy Special Boat Service (NNSBS), the Maritime Crime Investigation Desk (MCID), Naval Air Base Ojo (NAB), and the Deep Blue Task Group.
Supporting forces included the UK’s Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Lyme Bay and the Spanish vessel BAM Meteoro. The zonal phase, conducted from November 7 to 11, saw continued engagement with additional joint forces.
The exercise simulated various maritime crime scenarios, such as illegal fishing, crude oil theft, and illicit trafficking, to prepare personnel for real-world operations. Each scenario involved intercepting and boarding rogue vessels, gathering evidence, and executing coordinated manoeuvres with both domestic and international units.