The Defence Headquarters has inaugurated four ballistic gunboats locally manufactured in Rivers State to boost operations against oil theft, sea robberies and piracy.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Leo Irabor, who inducted the gunboats on Monday evening, said that they were built by the Naval Shipyard Limited (NSL), Port Harcourt.
He said the new platforms would provide protection for troops patrolling the nation’s maritime environment to prevent internal and external threats.
Irabor said: “Unarguably, Nigeria’s maritime environment is a reservoir of natural resources, including oil and gas that constitute the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy.
“So, the protection of these resources is a priority for the Federal Government to sustain socio-economic activities and enhancement of peace and stability of the Niger Delta.
“At the core of our commitment is the provision of adequate logistics support to our troops deployed in the region and across the country,” he said.
Irabor said the inauguration was a reaffirmation of the Armed Forces’ resolve to clear all illegalities at the nation’s maritime space.
He said: “So, this goes as a warning to all recalcitrant elements posing threats to peace and security of our maritime space that we are taking the war to them. (Nation)