Calabar: The Eastern Naval Command (ENC) of the Nigerian Navy conducted a harbour defence simulation training exercise to consolidate troops’ readiness to respond to harbour threats. The exercise took place at the Nigeria Navy Ship (NNS) VICTORY jetty in Calabar and was flagged off by the Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), ENC, Rear Admiral Chidozie Okehie.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the exercise was represented by the Chief Staff Officer, Rear Admiral Steven Ibrahim, and was named ‘EXERCISE EDIKPEME-MUO’, which means safe waters in Efik and Ibibio languages. It was designed to practice harbour drills and emergency response procedures involving ships alongside, NNS VICTORY, and other support units within the command. The objective was to test the level of alertness, coordination, and inter-unit synergy in the event of an attack or emergency.
The FOC explained that the aim is to prepare personnel to promptly respond to any untoward situations and threats to the ships and bases. He attributed the recent
successful rescue of 22 crew members onboard MV CHIMBA express by NNS OSE to frequent training exercises and expressed the command’s resolve to sustain the exercise to ensure readiness for emergency situations.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that during the exercise, officers and ratings simulated various emergency scenarios including defence station, action, and emergency station drills involving the disruption and repelling of underwater saboteurs and man overboard drills. Other drills conducted were medical evacuation, diving, plugging, and firefighting drills. These scenarios were executed in a coordinated manner to assess response time, communication efficiency, and command and control effectiveness.