The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has charged officers and men of the newly created Nigerian Navy Marines to brace for difficult operational conditions as they are deployed to various theatres across the country.
General Oluyede gave the charge at the graduation of the first set of the Nigerian Navy Marines in Navy town ojo, stressing that the development is a strategic step in strengthening Nigeria’s maritime and littoral security architecture.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede observed that Nigeria faces a complex security challenges that have evolved over time and the establishment of the Nigerian Navy Marines would bridge the gap between land and sea operations.
General Oluyode noted that the current Navy leadership’s continuity of policies initiated by former Chief of Naval Staff, Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, has enabled the service to record notable successes in the maritime domain.
General Oluyede urged the Marines to sustain collaboration with sister services, other security agencies, maritime stakeholders, civil authorities and local communities to enhance national security and public confidence.
The Chief of Defence Staff commended the Nigerian Navy for its vigilance across Nigeria’s internal waters, territorial seas, and the Exclusive Economic Zone.
General Oluyode asked the officers and ratings to bear in mind that the adversities they would face are adaptive and unconventional in character.
The Chief of Naval staff Vice Admiral Idi Abbas said that the Nigerian Navy Marines, were conceived as a key component of the command to provide a highly trained, mobile and versatile force capable of securing riverine corridors and supporting inland missions linked to maritime theatres.
Vice Admiral Abbas noted that Nigeria’s security landscape remains volatile, and as such the establishment of the Marines is a deliberate step towards enhancing their operational reach.
The Naval Chief added that synergy between the Nigerian Navy Marines and the Special Boat Service would provide the amphibious depth and precision required across the full spectrum of naval operations.
The Commandant of the Nigeria Navy Marines Training Center, Commodore Ayodele Aliu said The Nigerian Navy Marines was formally established June 1st last year in line with the Navy’s transformation Agenda .
The strategic initiative was aimed at enhancing Nigerian Navy special operations in expeditionary ,amphibious and littoral warfare
The ceremony was attended by the United States Acting Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Keith Heffern, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Navy, Senator Gbenga Daniels, senior military officers and international defence partners.
Reporting By Mary Fatile