Operations - NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA

Philip Daniel Yatai
Feb, Tue, 2025

Centre advocates spontaneous reportage of military, security operations

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By Sumaila Ogbaje/Martha Agas

The Centre for Crisis Communication (CCC), a non-governmental organisation has called on the military and security agencies to be spontaneous in releasing information on their operations to ensure that citizens are carried along.

The Chairman of CCC, retired Maj.-Gen. Christopher Olukolade, made the call at a news conference organised by the centre on Tuesday in Abuja.

The theme of the News conference is, “Setting Agenda for Nigerian Security Forces in 2025”.

Olukolade said there was a need to review the current communication strategies to carry the public along and ensure that Nigerians understand and appreciate what the agencies are doing to ensure security.

He urged military and security agencies to allow professionals to run their information management.

“We want to advocate, for instance, that in terms of their strategy that these agencies, particularly the armed forces, should discard this tendency of biweekly reporting.

“We are advocating a more spontaneous reportage on the achievements and activities related to the nation’s security.

“A practice where we have a biweekly briefing by one agency or organisation, or even collectively, may not be able to carry the public along sufficiently.

“This approach often leads to information overload, and it makes it difficult for the public to fully comprehend and appreciate the efforts of the agencies.

“So instead of that, we are recommending that they adopt a more responsive communication strategy that provides regular updates, if possible, on a real-time situation or as much as possible.

“This will ensure that the public can be properly and well carried along and ensure that they will no longer be in doubt of both the achievement and the essence of security operations all over the country,” he said.

Olukolade, a former defence Spokesman, said the public would appreciate the work of the security agencies more, if they apply more of operational precision.

He added that the security agencies would need to invest more on training, intelligence gathering and equipment handling to be able to achieve precision.

He lauded the military, other security and intelligence agencies for the recent improvement, urging them to continue to build on their successes in ensuring enhanced security for the nation.

The CCC boss also called for the establishment of clear protocols for identifying and engaging targets, as well as procedures for mitigating civilian casualties during operations.

He added that community collaboration with security agencies should be encouraged to ensure that their efforts were not only appreciated, but contribute to the nation’s security.

“We are already working closely with many of them and the local communities, and the security forces can gain more value and insight into a security situation if they are more disposed to carrying the public along.

“So, the Nigerian security forces should foster stronger relationships with, particularly, the local leaders in areas where they operate.

“Then the issue of interagency collaboration should be consolidated and be made more robust.

“It is interesting that there are less and less clashes among the agencies. We believe and we wish that in the years ahead, such will be upheld, and clashes among agencies will be a thing of the past.

“So, the agencies can continue to share intelligence, they can continue to collaborate, and they reduce the level of duplication that leads to the rivalry that tends to affect operations and possibly cause some crisis, both in terms of the conduct of their mission or in terms of communicating their achievements,” he added.

Olukolade also urged the Nigerian security force to leverage on cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and all other innovations and development in technology to enhance intelligence gathering.

He added that security forces should continue to build on and improve on what they had, both in terms of logistics base and content, as well as training of personnel.

He said that the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) had made impressive progress in defence production. (NAN)

Edited by Christiana Fadare

Philip Daniel Yatai
Dec, Tue, 2024

Features

Understanding the airpower influence on counter-terrorism operations

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By Sumaila Ogbaje, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Airpower has played a significant role in Nigeria’s counterinsurgency operations, particularly in the northeastern part of the country.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has been instrumental in providing air support to ground troops, conducting reconnaissance missions, and carrying out airstrikes against terrorist targets.

The NAF has also invested in acquiring new platforms, such as the T-129 ATAK helicopters, which have enhanced its operational capabilities. These helicopters have multirole capabilities and are durable with cost-efficient maintenance protocols.

Airpower has been critical in supporting the fundamentals of counterinsurgency warfare, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

It has also enabled the Nigerian military to respond quickly to emerging threats and to conduct operations in remote and inaccessible areas.

The Air Component of the various operations had during the year under review, executed deadly and targeted air strikes on several terrorists’ enclaves and criminal hideouts killing several of them.

The most recent are the devastating airstrikes that destroyed gun trucks, neutralised several fighters and recovered over 20 abandoned motorcycles while pursuing wounded and fleeing terrorists in the Kukawa axis of Borno.

The Director, Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Olusola Akimboyewa, said that another of such operations led to the destruction of terrorists’ food depot at Jubillaram in the Tumbuns area of Lake Chad Basin in November.

He said the location served as a critical food storage site and a sanctuary for terrorist commanders and fighters, adding that intelligence had previously linked terrorists in the location to recent attacks, including the assault on troops in Kareto on Nov. 16.

However, airpower alone is not sufficient to win a counterinsurgency campaign. It must be integrated with ground operations and other elements of national power to achieve success.

The Nigerian military has recognised this and has been working to develop a more comprehensive approach to counterinsurgency operations.

However, there are key challenges and opportunities such as integrating airpower with ground operations hence the increasing need for the military to continue to work on integrated operations to achieve optimal results.

Also, addressing civilian casualties has always been a challenge that requires the military to take steps to minimise it and ensure that airpower is used in a responsible and discriminate manner.

There is also the need to develop a comprehensive counterinsurgency strategy that integrates airpower with other elements of national power.

In the overall, airpower has played a significant role in Nigeria’s counterinsurgency operations, and its influence is likely to continue to grow in the future.

The NAF had a remarkable year in 2024, with significant aircraft acquisitions to boost its operational capabilities.

Some of its new acquisitions are 12 advanced aircraft, including two KA-360i aircraft, four DA-62 aircraft, four T-129 helicopters, and two AW-109 Trekker helicopters.

It is also expected that before the end of 2024, the NAF will take additional deliveries of two T-129 helicopters and one KA 360i aircraft.

According to the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, the NAF is set to receive 10 AW-109 Trekker helicopters, 24 M-346FA aircraft, and three CASA – 295 aircraft, as well as 12 AH-1Z attack helicopters in the coming year.

Abubakar also disclosed that the service had increased its effort in fleet modernisation, aimed at enhancing its operational readiness and capabilities.

He recently disclosed that the NAF had acquired a total of 64 brand new aircraft in about three years, with plans to receive an additional 38 platforms in 2025.

The air chief said that a review of their key performance indicators shows that, between June 2023 and September 2024, the NAF conducted 8,665 missions in 9,928 sorties within 15,915 flying hours.

This, according to him, underscores the magnitude of the relentless efforts of our personnel in all theatres of operations including Operations Hadin Kai, Fansan Yamma, Delta Safe, Safe Haven, AWATSE, UDO KA and Whirl Stroke, commending all Air Component Commanders for their exceptional leadership and outstanding performance.

Abubakar said that NAF had gained significant mileage in the area of training during the year, stating that 405 airmen and 186 officers completed various foreign courses, seminars and trips, while 64 are currently on-going.

He added that 5,474 and 1,331 personnel had also completed and were undergoing various local training courses, respectively.

According to him, from January to November 2024, the service has trained 54 Pilots abroad and 43 Pilots locally, while 16 UAV operators were trained locally.

The CAS said the NAF also achieved a commendable milestone in the area of safety in 2024 by recording zero manned-aircraft accidents, a testament to the positive outcomes of its continued investment in safety.

There is no gainsaying that the airpower has provided impetus for the successful military operations in confronting the myriads of security challenges bedevilling our great nation Nigeria. (NANFeatures)

**If used, please, credit the writer as well as News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Philip Daniel Yatai
Nov, Wed, 2024

Oil & Gas

Port Harcourt refinery begins operation

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By Emmanuella Anokam

The Port Harcourt Refinery, managed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) through the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC) has commenced operations after undergoing rehabilitation and modernisation.

The refinery with 210,000 bpd refining capacity located at Alesa, Eleme, in Port Harcourt, comprises two operational units which were established in 1965 and 1989.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the old plant refines a capacity of 60,000 barrels per day (bpd), while the new plant refines 150,000 bpd.

It would be recalled that the Federal Government, under former President, Muhammadu Buhari, had in March 2021 secured a 1.5 billion dollars loan to rehabilitate the facility which contract was awarded to an Italian firm, Tecnimont S.P.A, a subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont Group.

NAN reports that Malam Mele Kyari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd. is leading the team to inspect the first lifting of petroleum products from the facility after its rehabilitation.

Speaking at the Refinery on Tuesday, Kyari commended the contractors for doing a great job in ensuring that the refinery was delivered in spite of all challenges and unforeseen circumstances.

“The refinery is running, it is almost a new refinery because every rotating equipment, every compressor is new, we have practically changed everything.

“There is one unit which has never worked for 27 years, but it is back on stream.

“Everything that happened was something we did not have control over, it’s an old machine which would start and fail, it is normal for a plant, so you cannot make promises on it.

“This is really a moment of value for our country because it changes narratives about governance. It brings to the fore what leadership push can bring to systems and institutions,” he said.

He thanked President Bola Tinubu for his unwavering support and understanding towards the rehabilitation of the project and for his persistence to ensure energy security for the country.

They also thanked Nigerians for their patience and for the legitimate expectations of the company to deliver on the other refineries.

Mr Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) while congratulating the NNPC Ltd for achieving the milestone, lauded the upgrade of the old plant to a new technology.

“The flare is clean and has no smoke which shows that the plant is working very well and also compliant with environmental requirements,” he said.

Ahmed said all the regulatory support required was granted by the NMDPRA, adding that it would continue to support the completion of the rehabilitation work at the other refineries.

The Refinery Project Manager, Caccavielo Luca expressed satisfaction on the upgrade and re-streaming of the refinery after years of being moribund, adding that the same passion would be applied for the rest of the plant.

The PHRC rehabilitation project, is an Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Installation & Commissioning (EPCIC) project that is aimed at restoring the refinery to full functionality and renewal.

The refinery according to the NNPC Ltd. reached “mechanical completion” of rehabilitation work in December 2023, as it said that the facility would start refining 60,000 barrels of crude oil daily after the 2023 Christmas holiday.

In January, NNPC Ltd, Kyari, said that the refinery was being tested and would be ready by the end of January.

The promise came after the company said it was seeking to engage a reputable company to operate the refinery.

NNPC made further promises when the refinery failed to commence operation in January, that it would now begin operations in April. This, also did not materialise.

Further promises were made that the refinery would commence operations in July and August of this year, of which none of those new dates materialised.

Some Nigerians including former President Olusegun Obasanjo had expressed disappointment that the nation’s refineries have remained moribund for years, as the country had depended on imported product for about 20 years. (NAN)

Edited by Ese E. Eniola Williams

isaac aregbesola
Nov, Tue, 2024

Business , Defence/Security

Navy confiscates 8.1m barrels of stolen crude, apprehend 120 barges – Official

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By Sumaila Ogbaje

The Nigerian Navy confiscated more than 8.1 million barrels of stolen crude oil and 86,500 metric tonnes of illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), also known as diesel in four years.

The Chief of Training and Operations (Navy), Rear Adm. Olusegun Ferreira, made this known while briefing newsmen on the activities of the navy on Monday in Abuja.

Ferreira also said that the navy confiscated 788,312 litres of illegally sourced PMS and about 21 million litres of Kerosene within the same period.

The navy, he said, also apprehended 120 barges, 181 speed boats, 1,453 wooden boats laden with stolen products as well as 118 vehicles conveying stolen petroleum products in the last four years.

According to him, anti-oil theft operations remain the navy’s most critical function due to the contribution of oil revenue to Nigeria’s economic survival.

He added that the navy deactivated more than 1,528 illegal refining sites and 8,790 storage tanks, and arrested 392 suspected oil thieves.

“The suspects were handed over to relevant law enforcement agencies for further investigation and prosecution.

“Of particular note were the arrests of MT SWEET MIRI and MT VILLANIRIS I both filled with a combined quantity of four million litres of stolen crude oil.

“In view of its transnational nature, the fight against oil theft, also involves collaboration with our neighbours such as Cameroon, Benin and Togo who assisted in the apprehension of vessels such as MT NEW ANGEL and MT JASMINE involved in crude oil theft,” he said.

Ferreira said the navy recently hosted “Exercises CROCODILE LIFT and GRAND AFRICAN NEMO”, which are multinational exercises involving Nigerian Navy Ships, boats and aircrafts as well as ships from regional navies and partners such as France, UK and Spain.

This, according to him, is part of navy’s regional efforts to enhance maritime security,

He said the exercises were geared toward enhancing their international partnership and collaboration to curb maritime crimes in the Gulf of Guinea.

He added that the Nigerian navy has ensured compliance for legitimate upstream and downstream operations on behalf of the regulators.

According to him, the Nigerian navy’s efforts have greatly curbed oil theft and led to a significant increase in Nigeria’s daily crude oil production output from 1.23 million barrels in October 2022 to 1.8 million barrels in October 2024 as revealed by the NUPRC.

Ferreira lamented that there had been misrepresentations in certain quarters aimed at tarnishing the image of the navy by mischief makers whose freedom of action in oil theft were severely degraded by the navy.

“In spite of the disruptions by these unpatriotic elements, the Nigerian Navy has remained critical in the success of several strategic initiatives such as the Presidential Crude Oil Barging Regime.

“The Nigerian navy will continue to remain focused in carrying out our functions as a highly professional and dedicated force in line with our statutory roles.

“In doing so, the Navy will continue to work with Sister Services, partners and credible stakeholders in line with the whole-of-society approach in protecting our nation’s resources for economic prosperity and national development,” he added. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Sadiya Hamza