Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas

The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Ibok-Ete Ibas, says the Nigerian Navy is fully prepared to deal with Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), kidnappers, sea robbers and sea pirates and other groups of criminals trying to vandalise the nation’s assets.

Ibas said this on Monday when he visited the Nigerian Navy Engineering College in Sapele, Delta.

According to him, the Navy did not have to wait until a threat came from a particular group before it could act, given that its statutory obligation was to protect lives and property as well as secure the nation’s assets in the maritime domain.

“We do not wait until a threat comes from a particular group before the Navy acts so what we do is to protect lives and property.

“Any threat is taken seriously especially against the nation’s assets and individuals and the Nigerian Navy will continue to do that to secure the maritime territory of Nigeria as well as bad waters,” he said.

Ibas recalled that the Navy had to deploy a “checkpoint regime strategy” some time ago to combat crime adding that the strategy had yielded a lot of results as confirmed by the International Oil Companies (IOC).

“With the checkpoint management, our presence is all tailored toward reducing those challenges you have out there at the sea.

“I think the overall assessment is that the Navy’s presence has reduced the incidences of pirates at sea,” Ibas said, assuring those in legitimate business of continued security by the service.