Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, the newly-appointed Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), has assumed office vowing to tackle oil theft headlong.
Admiral Ogalla, on Friday, during the handover ceremony, in Abuja, said the activities of the oil thieves and pirates are impacting negatively the maritime security and a threat to national economy.
“We continually face significant threats such as crude oil theft, the prevalence of illegal refineries, Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, piracy, sea robbery, piracy, various forms of trafficking, and other maritime crimes,” he said.
“These are not just threats to our maritime security, but also our economic stability and national development. But let me be clear: We are committed to tackling these security challenges head-on. We will intensify our efforts to curb crude oil theft and put an end to illegal refining.
“We will enhance our capabilities to combat piracy and sea robbery and ensure the general safety of our maritime domain.
“I am confident that we can transform our maritime domain into a safer, more secure, and prosperous space for socio-economic activities to thrive in fulfilment of our constitutional mandate.”