The Nigerian Navy has deployed 10 warships and two helicopters in a joint multinational maritime exercise comprising 31 other foreign navies.
Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, inaugurated the exercise tagged: “Obangame Express 2022” in Onne, Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers. He added that the exercise was meant at improving security in the Gulf of Guinea, GoG and boosts synergy with navies within the regional block and allied countries.
Gambo said the Nigerian Navy will conduct the drill on Nigeria’s territorial waterways and the gulf between March 11 and end on it March 18. He also listed some of the countries that would participate in the exercise to include Angola, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Canada, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo and Denmark among others.
The Navy Chief said a report from the International Maritime Bureau, IMB released on March 3 indicated that Nigeria had exited from the list of piracy prone countries.
Also, the Flag Officer Commanding, FOC Central Naval Command Headquartered, Yenagoa, Bayelsa, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas, stated that the command would coordinate the exercise on behalf of Nigerian Navy.
