By Olusegun Olanrewaju
A new Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Rear Admiral Yakubu Wambai, yesterday took over the affairs of the Western Naval Command with headquarters in Apapa, Lagos State.
Wambai succeeds Rear Admiral Jason Gbassa, who has been redeployed as Chief of Administration, Naval Headquarters, Abuja.
Speaking during a colourful farewell parade organised in his honour which attracted top officers from the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, and the Police, Gbassa, who was the 40th FOC, said he initiated a series of operations to combat the menace of piracy, illegal oil bunkering, drug trafficking and other related crimes within the command’s area of responsibility.
Gbassa said, “We conducted EX OMI MIMO (CLEARWATER) to enhance the security of the Command’s maritime domain, EX OLUSO, a harbour defence exercise aimed at working up the ships and Operation OKUN ALAFIA to consolidate the gains of enhanced security in the Nations Maritime Environment and maintain a credible presence at sea with over 7,000 hours of patrols amongst others.
“We successfully hosted 11 foreign naval ships from countries like the United Kingdom, United State of America, France, Brazil, Spain, and Portugal amongst others. We conducted several joint/combined exercises to enhance the operational capabilities of our men.
“Cumulatively, these efforts resulted in the Command recording the lowest number of incidences of pirate attacks and sea robbery in the last 28 years and by extension, the Nigerian Maritime Domain and the Gulf of Guinea in general as attested to by the International Maritime Bureau Report of 2021.
“Further to this, the Command arrested several high-profile vessels and persons involved in drug trafficking. Specifically, the arrest of MV CHAYENEE NAREE and MT KARTERIA conveying cocaine from Brazil to Nigeria thereby effectively disrupted the international illegal trade on the route.
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“Similarly, under, JTF SW Op AWATSE, we emplaced a series of measures that led to the arrest and disruption of activities of various notorious pipeline vandals particularly of those operating at Baruwa Area of Alimosho LGA of Lagos.”
While especially thanking President Muhammadu Buhari, the Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of the Naval Staff for allowing him to serve in the premier command, Gbassa also commended Principal Staff Officers,
Commanders, and Commanding Officers of units and establishments for ensuring teamwork.
Earlier in a brief handover ceremony, the new FOC, Wambai, promised he would not fall below the standard already set by Gbassa.
He, therefore, officers and men to work together as a team to achieve the common goal of the Nigerian Navy.
