By Emem Idio

YENAGOA—AS part of efforts to combat criminality in the Niger Delta region, the Nigerian Navy  plans to set up more mobile stations in the creeks of Bayelsa State to police the waterways and cover the flashpoints of militant activities.

Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Ibok Ette Ibas, disclosed this in Yenagoa yesterday, during the annual shore inspection of ships units and establishment at the headquarters of the Central Naval Command, CNC, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Ibas, who described the inspection as an annual event, said the visit was to enable him “evaluate and access the operational state of equipment and men of at the Central Naval Command, comprising Bayelsa, Delta and Anambra States.” He also commissioned the CNC gymnasium and recreational centre and officers’ mess outdoor bar, and inspected ongoing projects including the administration blocks and officers’ accommodation,

On his impression of the CNC, the Naval Chief said: “The Nigerian Navy is barely five years old in Bayelsa State since 2012. Our visible presence in these five years is tremendous and has changed the maritime security landscape. The Nigerian Navy will do everything to ensure and create the enabling environment to allow legitimate use of the maritime environment.

“We are extending our bases to create more mobile stations to cover the flashpoints to create additional points to reduce criminality in Bayelsa State.”