Troops of the Nigerian Navy have arrested at l492 vessels that were operating illegally in the maritime domain of the country, the Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, has said.
He spoke to journalists in Abuja while defending the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
He said 139 of the arrested vessels were handed over to the Economic and financial crimes commission; 52, to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency; 2, to the Drug Law Enforcement Agency and 30, to the department of fisheries.
He said the Navy operations in 2022 saved the country N158bn that would have been illegally siphoned by economic saboteurs.
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He also said the government approved an increase in the recruitment of manpower of the Armed Forces, with the army alone increasing its recruitment from 3,000 per intake to 6,500 per intake.
“Representing over 100 per cent increase in manpower of soldiers while also increasing the intake of officers. The strength of officers between 2015 and 2023 witnessed an increase of 35 per cent while the strength of ratings increased by 84 per cent,” the minister said.
He, however, recommended the recruitment of 19,000 soldiers biannually to enhance the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to meet the security challenges in the country.
