Buhari commissions warships, aircraft to fight resource theft, piracy

President Muhammadu Buhari has commissioned two naval warships and an aircraft, in a move aimed at boosting capacity of the Nigerian Navy to fight resource theft, drug operations and piracy in the country and the Gulf of Guinea.

Buhari also inspected 16 warships and three AW109E helicopters of the Navy’s assets at the 2023 Presidential Fleet Review, held at Naval Dockyard, Lagos, yesterday.

The new aircraft (NN410) was manufactured in Italy. NNS Kada, a Landing Ship Tank, was built in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, while NNS Ibeno was donated by the People’s Republic of China.

The President said the ships and aircraft symbolise the nation’s maritime power and preparedness to carry out the Navy’s constitutional roles.

He noted that while maritime environment serves as a storehouse of resources and medium for transport, a safe and secure utilisation of these, for national prosperity in support of Nigeria’s Blue Economy aspirations, is cardinal to the Navy’s policing duties.

Speaking earlier, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, said the assets would perform functions, which include amphibious operations, sealift of troops, supply of logistics, maritime security, humanitarian aid and disaster relief, as well as search and rescue.

He recalled that in May 2020, one of the ships successfully rescued a Chinese fishing vessel, Hailufang II, which was attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea.