Authorities of the Nigerian Navy yesterday in Abuja debunked claims that Tompolo or any single Nigerian individual has acquired any gun boats or warship into the country noting that the controversial gunboats being alluded to belongs to Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
The Naval Chief of Training and Operations, Rear Admiral Austine Oyagha stated this while addressing journalist on issues concerning the purported warships being linked with Tomplolo.
These boats according to him are currently being manned by personnel of the Nigerian Navy saying that the collaboration between Navy and NIMASA is such that NIMASA can acquire boats but they cannot acquire the weapons.
According to Oyagha, “NIMASA has a role that is safety of the port, hardboard and the approaches outside the purview of the Nigerian Navy which is essentially policing role of NIMASA, and for them to carry out that role they need to have boats that are equipped should the need arise and since they cannot carry arms, they have to collaborate with such an organisation like the Navy that is actually empowered to carry arms.
“That is where we have that partnership with them and that is why we are on board those ship, that is why we have armed that ship accordingly and I can assure you that those weapons on board those boats belong to the Nigerian Navy and they are being manned by the personnel of the navy”
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