Navy warns against dealings with Illegal maritime security agencies

Following illegal activities of fake security maritime agencies, the Nigerian Navy has warned organisations against dealing with illegal security agencies. The Navy gave the warning yesterday when the Akwa Ibom state oil and gas monitoring and implementation committee paid a courtesy call to the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Eastern Naval Command (ENC), Rear Admiral James Oluwole at the Command Headquarters in Calabar yesterday.

Speaking during the event, the FOC represented by the Chief Staff Officer ENC, Rear Admiral Obi Ofodile stated that organisations should be wary about agencies parading themselves as maritime security agencies without legal backing from the Nigerian Constitution. He said the Navy will withdraw her support from any organization found to be collaborating with illegal maritime security agencies and such agencies will be sanctioned and their members arrested if caught.

The FOC promised that the Nigerian Navy would collaborate with the committee saying with the current economic realities, states need to look inward on how to increase their internally generated revenue.

Earlier, the Legal Adviser of the Akwa Ibom State Oil and Gas monitoring and implementation committee, Mr. Andem Ndem, stated that the committee was there to introduce themselves to the Eastern Naval Command and seek ways to interface with them in the implementation of its mandate. “The Navy’s collaboration will be needed in the areas of logistics and movement since most of these companies conduct their operations offshore. We have neither life jacket nor boats and we cannot sit in the office to monitor oil and gas companies activities at sea without going to sea, how then can we accomplish this without the Nigerian Navy?” he asked.