Desert warfare-adapted Toyota Landcruiser gun-trucks of the Nigerian Army
PHOTO CREDIT: THISDAY
A Nigerian Army desert warfare crew and Landcruiser gun-truck armed with a Browning M2 12.7mm calibre heavy machine gun in Mali
Nigerian troops dressed up in desert camouflage and 4WD trucks painted in desert camouflage scheme
PHOTO CREDIT: HOPE FOR NIGERIA
Logo of the Nigerian Army Desert Force
Troops in desert warfare-adapted 4WD vans,Panhard VBL M11 scout cars and Otokar Cobra APC spotted at 0900hrs, 15 May 2013
BEEGEAGLE’S BLOG
7 May, 2013
Indicators reaching Beegeagle’s Blog through impeccable back channel communication suggest that an ‘unnamed West African navy’, almost certainly the Nigerian Navy, have been made an offer of yet another 3,250 ton United States Coast Guard Cutter, a sister ship of the USCGC Chase(now NNS Thunder F90).
Unlike the unsuccessful bid for the USCGC Jarvis, also a sister ship of the NNS Thunder for which a bid was put in by the Nigerian Navy in 2012 even as she ultimately went to the Bangladesh Navy, this potential transfer of the “Excess Defense Article” is an OFFER made by the United States rather than a BID put in by the Nigerian Navy.
The text of the said communication volunteered by a strategically positioned Beegeagle’s Blogger reads in part
“Our president’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2014, which starts in October of calendar year 2013, includes the decommissioning of 2 ea 378 ft cutters. At least one of them will actually GET decommissioned (USCGC GALLATIN), after the budget process is completed, likely in March of 2014, and will likely be transferred to the West African country to which it was allocated last year. My understanding is that the offer has been made.”
The 115 metre 3250 ton ships of the Hamilton class, of which the NNS Thunder is one, have been severally upgraded during the course of their service lives and with a crossing range of 22,000 kilometres, the NNS Thunder is easily the naval ship with the greatest capacity for endurance at sea sailing in Africa today. The NNS Thunder was commissioned in Nigerian naval service on the 23rd day of January, 2012.
Earlier on in 2003, the US Coast Guard also transferred a four oceangoing 1,041 ton logistics ships/patrol vessels to the Nigerian Navy. The said ships, one of which sailed to Brazil for the bicentennial of that country’s navy a few years ago in her capacity as escort vessel to Nigeria’s flagship NNS Aradu, are also remarkable for their endurance at sea with a crossing range of 15,000km.
The said Cat class ships have seen consistent action in anti-piracy patrols in Nigeria and Benin Republic and have also participated in multinational sea exercises(EXERCISE OBANGAME) in Cameroon.
It would be recalled that whilst transferring the USCGC Chase to the Nigerian Navy in March 2011, President Obama promised to follow up the gesture with the transfer of a second ship in the near future.
Unless the Nigerian Navy turn down the offer, something which is most unlikely giving the acute dearth of oceangoing platforms facing the service, it is almost certain that the second Hamilton-class ship coming to the Nigerian Navy would be the USCGC Gallatin.
Watch this space then, gentlemen.
BACKGROUNDER
http://beegeagle.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=1209&action=edit&message=1
Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen Onyeabo Ihejirika addresses Nigerian soldiers
THE EAGLE ONLINE
23 May, 2013
excerpts
The army chief, Lt General Azubike Ihejirika has said that the army has
agreed to set up an Army Virtual War
College, as part of its personnel
development programme.
He said, this implies that the students
will be electronically linked with other
war colleges abroad as they will have
periods for live interactions.
He added that it was discovered that a gap exists in the training system between when an officer passes out from the Armed Forces Command and Staff College and the attendance of National Defence University, which is a strategic level course.
So, we want to train officers who will
attain the national operational
knowledge to command troops in the
field and the course will be meant for
lieutenant colonels and young colonels.
Ihejirika announced this at a seminar
on Nigerian Army Transformation in
Abuja, adding that the army was
expanding in many ways to face the
current security challenges.
Mali-bound Nigerian troops say “hail to our Chief”
VANGUARD
23 May, 2013
excerpts
“Presently, we are training 1,000
soldiers to become better and more
effective amphibious soldiers for JTF
operations in the Niger Delta. They
will become better seamen. In this
regards, the Navy has been of tremendous assistance by allowing us
use of the Navy’s Amphibious training
facilities.
“As I am talking to you, we have
established a Battalion known as the
101 Reserve Battalion to be directly
under Army headquarters. It will not
be deployed for ongoing terrorism
clampdown. It will just be on standby for any assigned task. Already out of
the 100 percent requirements needed
for its take off, we have met about 60
percent.
“This shows that we are ready and
prepared to take on even more
challenges. This also explains why in
building capacity, we made it
mandatory that all troops and officers
coming out of depot and other military institutions must undergo
counter-terrorism courses”.
Speaking further, the COAS said, “Since the end of military era and commencement of democratic rule, the
Nigerian Army has not witnessed as
much support and provision of
accommodation facilities as we have now and this has impacted seriously
on the morale of officers and
soldiers”.
“This administration has done a lot for
the army. Tomorrow, I will take
delivery of 10, 000 bullet proof vests
and 10, 000 bullet proof helmets from
the office of the National Security
Adviser for our operations”.
THE Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, who stated this yesterday at the 2013 Nigerian Army transformation
seminar, noted that contrary to
insinuations that the battle to dislodge terrorists from the North had led to shortage of troops for other operations; the Nigerian Army had enough manpower that was battle ready to undertake more challenges and tasks as may be directed by the Federal Government.
His words: “I want to say that our troops have really done well with regards to assigned tasks in ongoing operations. Moreover, we have set up Standing Monitoring Teams for all such ongoing operations and they update us with regards to ensuring that rules of engagement are followed.
BACKGROUNDER
MADE-IN-NIGERIA HELMETS AND BULLET-PROOF VESTS
http://beegeagle.wordpress.com/2012/10/24/focus-on-made-in-nigeria-military-hardware/
Navy Bell Jet Ranger helicopters(foreground and background). To the right is an Agusta A109e Power
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Wednesday, 22 May 2013
AS the army continues to rid the northern part of the country of insurgents, the Nigerian Navy has said that it has increased its combat readiness against all forms of criminality and aggression on the nation’s territorial waters.
Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Central
Naval Command, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Rear Admiral Johnson Olutoyin, gave this assurance on Monday at the
commencement of the First bi-annual
Inspection of available units’ administrative and operational structures at Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS), Delta, Warri Naval Base.
The FOC, who said the objective of his
visit was to ascertain how commanders
and commanding officers of ships and
units and establishments were utilising
the resources at their disposal to drive
the NN transformation agenda as encapsulated in the Chief of Naval Staff
Strategic Guidance 01, inaugurated and
inspected a number of projects.
Among the inaugurated projects during
the nine-hour tour, were the Emergency
Unit of the Nigerian Navy Hospital and
the newly constructed gate of the NNS
Delta Warri, while he carried out an
assessment of warships at Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) premises, ongoing
building project at the Nigerian Navy
Flying Unit at Effurun as well as the Naval Officers’ wives Association School at Effurun, Delta State.
Men of the Police Mobile Force(PMF), otherwise known as MOPOL, on parade
THE CITIZEN
23 May, 2013
The Inspector General of Police,
Mohammed Dikko Abubakar Wednesday declared Enugu State as having the lowest crime rate in the country, saying that this fact was buttressed by statistics and empirical evidence.
Abubakar who was speaking yesterday while taking delivery of one hundred brand new vehicles donated to the police by the Enugu State Government, stated that this was largely a result of the tremendous support that the administration of Governor Sullivan Chime has been giving to the police and other security agencies.
He said: “Today, I can confirm, as the Inspector General of Police,that Enugu State has the lowest crime rate in Nigeria. I also confirm that Enugu is one the safest places in Nigeria. This is the result of the wonderful partnership between the Enugu State Government, the Police and other security agencies”.
He commended Governor Sullivan Chime for the gesture,saying it was an example that his colleagues should emulate. “I commend you (Chime) for this gesture. This is a shining example for your colleagues to emulate. This a practical demonstration that you love and care for your people and that you understand what it takes to provide security of lives and property”.
The Inspector General said the latest donation of vehicles by the government was unprecedented in the sense that it included both patrol vans and sedans (saloon cars) adding that it fell in line with the new policy objective of his administration to move away from vans as is the practice in the advanced countries.
He also praised Governor Chime for
has massive road development
programme in the state, noting that the provision of streetlights on the major roads of Enugu metropolis was of great assistance to the police in their war against crime in the state.
Alhaji Abubakar promised that with
the vehicles “a new brand of policing would commence in Enugu State because police officers would be adequately trained in the use of the vehicles.” Stressing that the gesture was a challenge to the police, he charged officers and men of the Enugu State Police command to use the vehicles only for their stated purposes to rid the state of criminals and warned that any abuse or misuse of the vehicles by the officers will be sanctioned.
Earlier while presenting the vehicles consisting of fifty patrol vans and fifty cars, Governor Chime remarked that it had been the policy of his administration since inception to partner with the police to maintain security. He disclosed that the vehicles were provided in partnership with local
government councils and were fully
equipped with modern communication gadgets.
The Governor added that the saloon cars would be used for patrols within the metropolis while the vans were to cover inter-government routes and the borders. The Governor said that his
government was determined to ensure that the people will feel the presence of the police wherever they are and in the event of any incidence of crime,the police will appear within five minutes of receiving any alarm or emergency notice.
It would be recalled the Chime
administration had over the past six years variously donated over one hundred patrol vans to the Police and other security agencies in the state
Nigerian soldiers in the shade of a Mali-bound Nigerian Air Force C130 Hercules plane
VOICE OF NIGERIA
21 May, 2013
Abuja
The Nigerian troops sent to Mali for peacekeeping operations are to remain in Mali for now, contrary to speculations that they would be withdrawn to face the domestic crisis in the country. This was contained in a press statement by the Director Defence Information Brigadier General Chris Olukolade in Abuja.
There were media reports that Nigerian
troops were being withdrawn from Mali
to face the insurgency in some parts of
Northern Nigeria is not true. “The report therefore in a section of the press that Nigerian troops are to be withdrawn from Mali to face the ongoing insurgency is complete falsehood.’’
“There is certainly no need for such
action now as the human and material
resources of the Armed Forces of Nigeria
are being meticulously deployed and
quite able to meet its present internal
and external assignments.’’
Rotation of troops
The story of troop withdrawal from Mali
may have been brought about by the
rotation of troops in various missions
which is a normal practice in military circles, he said. The Defence spokesperson said this is a routine and should not be misunderstood or misrepresented to misinform Nigerians and the international community.
‘’As a matter of fact the normal and scheduled rotation of troops in various missions will continue.’’ ‘’This routine should not be misunderstood or misrepresented to misinform Nigerians and the international community.‘’These times are too sensitive for anyone to engage in unnecessary sensation, speculation or rumour mongering on military affairs please.’’ Nigerian troops are currently deployed for the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA)
Brigadier General Chris Olukolade
reassured Nigerians that the troops were capable of tackling the current challenge of insurgency in some parts of northern Nigeria.
NNS ANDONI P100, proudly made-in-Nigeria
THISDAY
21 May, 2013
In its continuous quest to curb the menace of crude oil theft as encapsulated in the Strategic Guidance 01 of the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Pathfinder, weekend smashed a top oil theft syndicate in Rivers State.
THISDAY investigations revealed that the syndicate, which has over 100 tank farms where the stolen products were hidden, had successfully carried out daily massive sales before its nefarious activities became known to security operatives. It was also gathered that in the state, the syndicate’s reach spanned over seven communities through which the well-oiled major oil theft production in the state prospered and boomed.
The suspects had engineered their nefarious activities such that the tank farms and refineries had pipes that ran several kilometres and were connected to the respective houses of members from where they attend to their customers.
During the raid by personnel of NNS PATHFINDER under the Commanding Officer (CO), Commodore Emmanuel Duja Effedua, they discovered the communities involved in the illegality to include Idama, Ikpokri, One man Camp, Kii, Ele Creeks and Bille, KM 45, where several local tank farms used in storing illegally refined Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and crude oil were located.
Confirming the incident to THISDAY on the telephone, the Base Information Officer, NNS PATHFINDER, Lieutenant Abdulsalam Sani, said the special task force instituted by the command had carried out the raid based on a tip off. He said: “The NNS PATHFINDER carried out more raids in those communities and other accessories used in these criminal acts were destroyed. No arrest was however made but we are going back next week to destroy the remaining tank farms.
‘In Ikpokri alone, we discovered over 30 tank farms and in KM45, it was uncountable. These people probably bunker pipelines and connect it to their tank farms and then supply to their numerous customers.”
“The base once again is warning landlords, village heads and community leaders that anybody whose house is conjoined with the illegal tank farms/ refineries and fails to report, should consider such houses as collateral damage. “Such houses would be destroyed alongside these illegal facilities when we carry out our tearing down operation. This warning will not be repeated. However, investigations are on to trace the source of the products in the tank farm.”
L-R: Air Chief Marshal Rafique Butt, Chief of the Air Staff Pakistan Air Force, Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff and Air Marshal Alex Badeh, Chief of the Air Staff Nigerian Air Force
Air Marshal Alex Badeh presents a souvenir to Air Chief Marshal Rafique Butt
PHOTO CREDIT: NATION NEWSPAPERS(PAKISTAN)
