Nigerian Navy (NN) and dia Portuguese partner don begin five-day joint sea exercise for Lagos to strengthen security for Gulf of Guinea (GoG) and make am easy for friendly forces to work togeda.

Di exercise wey dem call Coastal Grip II, start on Friday at Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft Jetty for Apapa, with representatives from Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Customs Service and National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) wey come witness am.

While e dey speak for di flag-off, Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, talk say di drills go follow di Navy’s Total Spectrum Maritime Strategy, wey recognize say sea robbery, oil theft, illegal fishing and trafficking of people, weapons and drugs need solutions wey go pass one country border.

Dem represent am by Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Western Naval Command (WNC), Rear Admiral Abubakar Mustapha.

Abbas talk say di exercise go build on di first one wey dem do, Exercise Coastal Grip I, wey dem do wit Spanish Navy under European Union’s SWAIM Project (Support to Western African Integrated Maritime Security), wey Portuguese government dey run now.

E thank Portugal for donating two Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats to Nigerian Navy for July, and for training and equipping 28 Navy Special Forces people for high-speed intercepts and special operations.

E talk say di exercise, wey include ships, helicopters, Special Boat Service people, Western Naval Command’s Mission Control Centre and Portuguese frigate Álvares Cabral, go test dis training and equipment.

Activities include maritime interdiction operations, air-sea coordination, communication drills, ship manoeuvres and mission-planning exercises. E urge all di people wey dey participate make dem maintain professionalism, discipline and safety throughout.

Also wey come for di launch na Air Officer Commanding (AOC), Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal (AVM) Abdul Suleh, and Commander, 9 Brigade Nigerian Army, Brig.-Gen. Ayokunle Owolabi.