Navy launches “Operation Octopus Grip” phase 2 with gunboats in Delta

Nigerian Navy set up Operation Octopus Grip 2 in Delta.

The Central Naval Command of the Nigerian Navy has launched “Operation Octopus Grip” phase two with eleven gunboats in Delta State.

The Flag Officer Commanding, FOC, Central Naval Command, Rear Admiral Abubakar Bello Alhasan said the launching of the operation was in furtherance of the first phase earlier launched on October 30th, 2017.

He said, “Like you all know we launched the first phase of this operation on the 30th of October. We started with the sea exercise in Onne. Now we are here to start the riverine operation and we said the exercise was going to be in two phases.

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“Today we are going to start the riverine operation with eleven boats from NNS Delta. This will be going on simultaneously in other command as well.”

Alhasan who also led an operation to destroy illegal refineries in Bennett Island, Warri South-West Local Government Area, told journalists that the command was ready to rid the waterways off all forms of criminality.

He disclosed further that the navy had identified over 200 illegal refineries in the Niger Delta region and they would go after all of them.

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“Today you have witnessed our fight against illegal refineries and crude oil theft and you can see that over 20 to 30 hectares of land is been used in that illegal refinery camp.

“You can see that they have destroyed the ecosystem in that place and for this reason we are going to raid them on daily basis”, he said.

He therefore, appealed to the communities to cooperate with the command to rid the Niger Delta of crime and criminality.