Niger Delta: Navy mounts surveillance on 37 creeks

Nigerian Navy

The Nigerian Navy says it has mounted surveillance on 37 creeks in the Niger Delta to put an end to oil theft as well as criminal activities in the region.

The Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, who disclosed this in Calabar, Cross State capital, while inspecting facilities in formations under the Eastern Naval Command, said there were over 6,000 creeks in the Nigerian waterways.

Responding to questions on the efficacy of the recently introduced ‘House Boat Regime’ which focuses on curtailing criminal activities in the newly identified hotspots on the waterways, the Naval Chief said the routes had been identified as means of escape used by criminals

Ibas said, “We have over 6,000 creeks and rivers in the Niger Delta and other parts of the country. We have been able to identify about 37 of them that are navigable and are used by criminals for their escape. It is those 37 that we have made plans to man, by placing ‘House Boats’ to check the activities of these criminals.

“In Calabar, we are happy with the security situation. We want to believe that if you are able to fight criminal activities on land and you have those criminals venturing into the sea, we should do same. The Calabar River is one of the rivers we have identified but the priority given to it is not as much as those given to some other rivers and creeks in Delta and Bayelsa states.

“The emphasis is to ensure that we put in place those measures in the other states before we get to Calabar. I want to believe that before the second quarter of 2017, we would have taken dominance of the creeks and rivers that we have identified.

He, however, commended formations under the Eastern Naval Command for striving to maintain its facilities despite the lack of funds.

“I am impressed with the efforts being made by the various commanders at ensuring that the infrastructure under them is maintained to support naval operations. Funds have not been forthcoming and no monies are set aside for the maintenance of this infrastructure,” he said.