PORT HARCOURT – The Eastern Naval Command has launched a large-scale, multi-agency maritime exercise, deploying nine ships, three helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles to bolster the protection of Nigeria’s vital economic assets in the Gulf of Guinea.
Codenamed “Exercise DIN MINGI” (Safe Waters), the two-day drill was flagged off Tuesday by the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Rear Admiral Chiedozie Donald Okehie, from the Navy Jetty in Onne, Rivers State. The operation is designed to evaluate the combat readiness of the Eastern Fleet and enhance coordination among security services.
Rear Admiral Okehie stated that this year’s theme, “Protecting Critical Infrastructure Through Inter-Agency Collaboration,” directly reflects the Command’s strategic pillars. The exercise will feature a complex simulation of an opposed boarding of a hijacked Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) vessel, a critical scenario for safeguarding the country’s energy exports.
“In the Armed Forces, retraining is essential. This exercise forms part of our training objectives to ensure our men remain combat ready,” Okehie said.
The substantial deployment includes naval vessels of various classes, Air Force helicopters, an Epsilon EP55 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and multiple assault boats. In a notable inter-agency collaboration, operatives from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) are also participating to practice the identification of psychoactive substances on suspect vessels.
The FOC explained that the drill aims to demonstrate a unified approach that integrates air and surface platforms to restrict the operational freedom of criminal elements in Nigeria’s territorial waters. He reiterated that the operation aligns with the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas’s mission to maintain a professional force capable of securing the nation’s maritime domain.
Rear Admiral Okehie assured that all participating units would strictly adhere to the Rules of Engagement and Standard Operating Procedures throughout the exercise, which concludes on Wednesday.
