The Nigerian Navy, yesterday, displayed a show of force on the nations’s territorial waters and creeks, with a  view to ensuring that the waterways were safe during elections.

To this effect, it has handed down a warning to miscreants to desist from any illegality on the creeks  during the period of the elections.

Vanguard gathered that surveillance would be intensified  especially in the Niger Delta region, where ballot boxes are conveyed through the creeks , with a view to checking the activities of hoodlums with tendency of hijacking election materials.

Briefing journalists shortly before naval personnel embarked on the show of  force  at the jetty of the Western Naval Command, Apapa, Lagos, the command’s Chief Staff Officer, Rear Admiral Begroy Ibe-Enwo, explained that the exercise was to improve the command’s level of preparedness in support of the overall success of   the general elections.

Over 12 ships comprising capital (big) ships,  according to him, will patrol the command’s area of responsibility from yesterday , to ensure that no ship flaunts the Federal Government’s directive on the closure of sea boarders, and also to ensure that no illegalities were found in the conducts of  vessels which are already at encourage.

He added that boats would also be deployed to support the ships, with a view to patrolling the Cowrie creeks which link Victoria Island, Bonny Camp and Maroko toll gate; as well as creeks around  Lagos Island, Lekki and  Ikoyi.

“ Some of our ships are involved in ‘Obagame express’, a multinational military  exercise that we conduct with other friendly navies in the Gulf of Guinea. So these ships will be re-rolled to also be part of  this patrol exercise  in order to ensure that  our waterways are safe particularly during the elections. Our role is in support of the Nigeria Police which is in charge of internal security,” he said.