The Nigerian Navy has warned criminals to steer clear of the Ondo State coast line as it was battle ready to stem criminal activities ahead of the Yuletide.
Commodore Danjuma Ndanusa, Commanding Officer, Nigerian Navy, Forward Operation Base (FOB), Igbokoda, Ondo State, issued the warning while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday.
He said that his men were stationed at designated areas in the riverine communities in Ondo coastal areas to ensure tight security and rid its water-ways of illegalities and criminalities.
Ndanusa said such activities included bunkering, oil theft, kidnapping, piracy, ritual killings and other social vices on the waterways.
The Navy boss, who assured residents of the riverine areas of optimal security, urged them to always be law abiding and cooperate with the security agencies in order to bring criminal activities to a standstill.
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“We swore to protect the sovereignty of the country and its waterways for legal businesses to thrive that is why we are always ready.
“Our Internal Security (IS) Team, gunboats and other gadgets are stationed at designated areas on the Ondo coast line and riverine communities in order to ensure the safety of residents both on land and waterways.
“We are not resting our oars to ensure the waterways are free from bunkering, oil theft, illegal refining, kidnapping, piracy ritual killings and other vices, so no safe haven for them on Ondo coastal line.
“I urge residents of these communities to be law abiding, cooperate with us and other security agencies by reporting criminals and their activities for us to do it together,” he said.
Ndanusa thanked the state government for donating 10 patrol boats to the command and sought cooperation of the Police and other community leaders in order to stem crime in the area.
He also thanked the Naval Headquarters for approving the construction of five gunboats, set to be delivered in December to further ease their operations.
He urged the state government, through its Amnesty programme, to honor its agreement with ex-militants who had surrender their arms and ammunition. (NAN)
