By Jimitota Onoyume

For two days the Nigerian Navy showed its might over oil thieves, pirates on the maritime environment in the Niger Delta when it launched its exercise ‘SharkBite’.

Naval flagship, NNS Okpabana, three other ships and a Naval helicopter were among fleets in the navy deployed to the exercise.

Four hundred officers and three thousand ratings were involved in the exercise.

Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral James Oluwole, while flagging off the exercise  onboard Nigerian Navy Ship Okpabana at Onne seaport, Rivers State said the exercise will guaranty safety of the nation’s maritime environment.

File Photo: Nigerian Navy

”It is a known fact that crude oil which is the mainstay of our country’s economy has suffered low pricing regime in international market.

“The situation is worsened by the vandalism of critical oil and gas infrastructure by militants, plunging the nation into recession.

“Consequently, the Nigerian Navy more than ever before , must be in the best position to secure critical oil and gas infrastructure both ashore and offshore for socio economic activities to thrive in the marine domain,” he stated.

He said the exercise covered a distance of 24,000 nautical miles on the waterways, stressing that at the end the Navy will be better positioned to rid the region of miscreants destroying national assets.