Navy Partners  Foreign Counterparts to Tackle Terrorism in Gulf of Guinea.

Tayo Oladipupo    I     

In commemoration of its 62nd anniversary, the Nigerian Navy (NN) embarked on a sea exercise in collaboration with six other foreign countries’ Navies.
The exercise which involved foreign Navies within and outside the zone was aimed at tackling the increasing menace of terrorism in the Gulf of Guinea.
The Nigerian Navy Regional Maritime exercise tagged EKU KUGBE in Isoko DIALECT, and COOPERATION in English language, was flagged off by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonishakin at the Naval Dockyard, Victoria Island, Lagos.
He said: “Exercises of this nature are critical towards sustaining the resources and huge potentials of the Gulf of Guinea.
“Sadly, the potentials of the Gulf of Guinea are constantly undermined by domestic, cross border and trans-national threats that limit economic development of the region, with adverse political consequences.
“Major threats like piracy and attacks on shipping have become predominant in the region, with negative consequences on the economy and overall well being of Gulf of Guinea nations”.
According to him, the exercise, as part of proactive measures by the Economic Committee of Central African States, ECCAS, and Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has established maritime security mechanisms.
Earlier, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, disclosed that 12 Nigerian Navy ships and one each from Cameroon, Ghana, Togo, China, France and Portugal would participate in the exercise that would end today.

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