The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai has commended the management of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) for its efforts in combating piracy and other criminal activities on Nigeria’s waterways.
Buratai who said this, when the Ag. Director General of NIMASA, Haruna Jauro paid a working visit to the Army headquarters also assured the agency of the cooperation of the Army in curbing criminal activities especially in the creeks where barges and other water crafts are used to commit crimes like crude oil theft and piracy.
The Army chief also used the opportunity to appeal to NIMASA and other corporate organisations to assist with the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Northeast.
“I want to appeal to you and other responsible corporate bodies to assist with the resettlement of internally displaced persons now that calm is being restored to some of those communities because the situation in the camps is not really conducive,” Buratai said.
He also appealed to NIMASA to engage some children of the soldiers who lost their lives in the battle against insurgency in its Nigerian Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) as a way of alleviating the suffering of those families.
Earlier in his remarks, the NIMASA Acting Director General congratulated Buratai on his appointment as the nation’s Chief of Army Staff. He also commended him for the successes recorded so far in the fight against insurgency in the Northeast.
Jauro also canvassed the continuous support of the Army in fighting piracy and other criminal activities in Nigerian waters saying the partnership has been very useful in reducing the menace.
He assured his host that the NIMASA would take a holistic look at his requests and come up with very practical initiatives in addressing them.
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