No fewer than 1,176 young men and women have been recruited by
the Nigerian Navy to aid its fight against sea pirates and oil
bunkers in the nation’s maritime domain.
Abayomi Olonisakin, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS),
disclosed this on Saturday at the formal Passing out Parade of
Batch 28 recruits trained at the Nigerian Navy Basic Training
School in Onne, Rivers.
He said the trainees underwent rigorous physical and mental
training for seven months to prepare them for internal security
operations across the country.
“The trainees have been adequately groomed in basic naval
seamanship subjects, including swimming and weapon handling.
“Additionally, they have been imbibed with such basic skills, as
self-discipline, teamwork, and overcoming of problems.
“The trainees were also tutored on basic civil-military
relations, inter-agency cooperation and laws of armed conflict.
They have been transformed and ready for deployment.”
Mr Olonisakin said the navy, under the current leadership, had
provided enabling environment as well as requisite logistic
requirements to enhance the standard of training.
He said the trainees are joining the navy at a time the armed
forces were involved in many complex and challenging internal
security operations across the country.
“Presently, the armed forces are engaged in insurgency and
terrorism operations in the North East and North West; oil theft,
illegal bunkering, pipeline vandalism, illegal refining and armed
robbery in the South-South and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
“Over the past decade, the increase in the activities of
non-state actors have continued to challenge the ability of our
armed forces to overcome asymmetric security challenges.
“This informed the holistic review of training the trainees
underwent to confront the contemporary security challenges.
“However, some of the trainees would be deployed in future to
curb these security challenges,” he said.
Mr Olonisakin said the nation’s economy was largely dependent on
resources and trading activities on the waterways, and as such,
urged the navy to open and secure the sea.
He said securing the nation’s economic lifeline would require
superior tactics, unalloyed dedication, absolute discipline,
virtuous leadership, well-maintained machinery, and constant
world-class training.
The military chief called for the loyalty of trainees to
President Muhammadu Buhari as well as to the armed forces.
(NAN)
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