The Central Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy, on Tuesday, launched “Exercise Ebi To’Ru” as part of its deliberate measures to curtail illegalities in the maritime space.
The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Central Naval Command, Rear Adm. Suleiman Ibrahim, unveiled the sea exercise in Warri.
Ex Ebi-To’Ru means “sea protection” in Ijaw.
Addressing the Navy personnel and representatives of some paramilitary agencies at the event, Ibrahim said the essence of the exercise was to sustain credible naval presence at sea to secure the maritime environment.
He also said that the exercise would, among other things, serve as preparation for the upcoming Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Annual Sea Inspection 2025 in Lagos.
The FOC said the exercise represented another deliberate step by the command towards enhancing maritime security, strengthening inter-agency cooperation and ensuring the safety of lives and property within the command’s maritime environment
“Ex EBI-TORU is designed to sharpen our operational readiness, improve our response capabilities, and enhance the synergy among all participating units and agencies.
“The exercise will involve a series of coordinated drills at sea and along the coastline, including protection of critical national infrastructure, maritime interdiction operations, anti-piracy operations, search and rescue procedures, anti-smuggling operations, and emergency response simulations.
“These activities are aimed at testing our proficiency, validating operational plans and reinforcing the high standards expected of our officers and ratings,” Ibrahim said.
He said that the maritime domain, under the command, was central to Nigeria’s economic prosperity and blue economy agenda.
According to him, Nigeria’s International Trade is projected at ₦38 trillion, and the maritime sector accounts for an overwhelming significant volume, hence the need for robust national maritime defence to curtail the ever evolving threats.
He identified some of the threats in the maritime space to include: illegal unreported and regulated fishing, marine pollution, arm trafficking, drug smuggling, terrorism, crude oil theft and sea robbery.
The FOC said that, in spite of the deployment and use of Maritime Domain Awareness Capabilities and other platforms, the aforementioned threats still persisted.
He said that exercises of that nature would allow the Navy to identify gaps, close vulnerabilities, and build the confidence required for real-time operations.
He expressed appreciation and gratitude to President Bola Tinubu and the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abass, for their continuous support.
Ibrahim urged all hands to be on deck towards achieving the purpose of the exercise through utmost seriousness and professionalism by the officers, men and civilian staff of the Navy.
He affirmed the Navy’s unwavering commitment to protecting the nation’s maritime interests, especially in its Areas of Responsibilities.
He also declared that the command would continue to uphold its mandate, improve operational capacity, and work closely with all stakeholders to ensure a safe and secure maritime environment.
Earlier, the Officer in charge of Tactical Command, Rear Adm. Kabiru Tanimu, said that the exercise would enable the command to assess the assigned ships.
Tanimu also said that the exercise would enable the command to evaluate the effectiveness of logistics support in the Navy’s operations.
