Biafra group talks tough as Nigerian Navy deploys ships, choppers to Gulf of Guinea

BNL, which has its operational base in Bakassi Peninsula in the eastern end of the Gulf of Guinea accused the Chief of Naval Staff of “taking such decisions because of our planned expulsion of oil companies operating under Nigeria in the maritime boundary area of Bakassi Peninsula.”

In a joint statement signed by the National Leader of BNL, Princewill C Richard, Deputy National Leader, Ebuta Akor Takon and the Chief of Staff of BNL, Linus Essien on Saturday evening, the group said “any military operations in the Gulf of Guinea would be resisted by the inhabitants of the region.”

Recall that the Nigerian Navy had at the weekend deployed six ships, two tugboats, two helicopters and a Nigerian Airforce ATR42 aircraft to the Gulf of Guinea.

Vice Admiral Awwal Gambo, the Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), had on Saturday inaugurated the 11th Exercise Obangame Express 2021.

The flag-off of the multinational exercise for maritime security was held on the board of the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) THUNDER, at the Naval Dockyard in Victoria Island, Lagos.

Gambo said the huge resources and vast potential of the Gulf of Guinea was being undermined by multifaceted domestic and cross border threats.

The CNS said the exercise presented another opportunity for the Nigerian Navy to work together with other national and regional Navies in the spirit of the Yaounde Code of Conduct.