A Europe-bound motor tanker, MT CENTENARY, marked 883671710 and laden with 250,000 barrels of crude oil was sailing through Nigeria’s Eastern waters on Sunday, March 20, when an eight-man pirate gang hijacked it. The hijackers who suppressed the vessel’s 11-man crew comprising two Philippinos, five Ghanaians and four Nigerians, navigated the ship between Opobo and Ikot-Abasi waters in Uyo, in a bid to siphon its contents. Fortunately, the ship’s Captain, Das Macfish, with the aid of his private Thuraya phone, radioed the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) OKPABANA, informing the warship of its predicament, stating that the pirates were in charge of the command and control of the oil vessel. Immediately the captain contacted the navy ship, the Commanding Officer (CO) NNS OKPABANA, Captain Olusegun Ferreira, ordered the Special Boat Services (SBS) elements to prepare for a rescue mission. As that was going on, the ship’s Executive Officer (XO), Captain Abdulraman Mohammed, tried to cajole the pirates to disembark and not hurt the crew members of the merchant vessel, but the hijackers threatened fire and brimstones. Hence, the SBS teams, after receiving directives from the CO, were lowered into the water, while the navy continued to buy time by massaging the ego of the pirates’ leader, a certain Don, who remained adamant. As the talks between the XO and Don continued, the two boats conveying 16 SBS elements navigating against ocean tides, headed towards the distressed vessel, while Nigerian Navy Augusta Helicopter 09, which flew for about 30 minutes from Naval Flying Unit, Ikot- Abasi at a thousand feet above sea level after it was contacted, landing onboard the warship at about 10:30am to provide air surveillance for the boarding party, covered them. Upon sighting the military men, the pirates opened fire, injuring one of the officers identified as Douglas. However, one of the pirates was killed as the operatives forcibly claimed the vessel in a bid to save the crew members and protect the nation’s territorial integrity. Having successfully boarded the vessel and rounded up the remaining seven members of the gang, the SBS team recovered eight AK47 rifles and 16 magazines with 200 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition. The naval team then interrogated the occupants of the oil vessel. In the course of interrogation, it was discovered that the oil tanker itself was operating illegally, having forged documents with which it lifted crude oil. At that point, the rescue team arrested the vessel and handed both its crew members and the pirates to the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) for appropriate actions.

Life onboard NNS OKPABANA
At exactly 2:05pm on March 16, NNS
OKPABANA commenced the voyage
through the Atlantic Ocean from Onne
Ports in Rivers State. Cabins were
allocated, beddings issued and safety/ship
rules read out to all civilians at the point
of boarding by the XO.
Sailing at a speed of six knots, the vessel
gradually moved into dark waters where
the ship spent seven of the 11 days,
occasionally patrolling between BRASS,
BONNY and OPOBO general areas.
It was an intriguing experience,
particularly at sunrise, watching the sun
beam its rays across the ocean as it takes
over from the moon. At 5:30 am, the
beagle echoes from the bridge (ship’s
control room) across every nook and
cranny of the 115.4m long and 12.8m
beam vessel, signaling the dawn of a new
day. The next general announcement
comes 15 minutes later telling everyone
that fresh water would be pumped, which
means aside bathing, everyone on board
was expected to reserve the water they
would need for the rest of the day.
With a navigational draught and height of
7.9m and 38.6m respectively; speed of
29knots, nine decks, two anchors and
nine shackles on the port and starboard,
machine guns and a displacement of 3250,
NNS OKPABANA has full capacity to
effectively carry out its policing duties for
45 days in the high sea without coming
ashore.
But for the absence of telephone and
Internet signals, as well as the restriction
of movements onboard the floating iron
for safety reasons, every activity onboard
the ship was in line with military
tradition.
There is a well equipped gym at the base
of the vessel, a laundry room, a barbing
salon at the ship’s basement while table
tennis, table soccer, chess, scrabble and
other games are played at the helicopter
hanger or the officers’ wardroom.
Breakfast is served between 6:30 am and
8 am, lunch from 12:30pm to 2 pm and
super time starts at 6 pm ending 8pm.
The ship company has a roaster indicating
what role each personnel must play at a
particular time. Seven watches are kept
each day by different people as the ship
sails to avoid any security threat.
At 8pm, the beagle announces the
commencement of First Watch and those
whose turn it is dress in their blue rigs,
take positions at strategic areas in the
ship where they stay till midnight,
reporting every movement and object
sighted. Then those on Middle Watch take
over from 12 am to 4 am after which the
people on Morning Watch continue till 8
am.
From 8 am to 12 pm, personnel on
Forenoon Watch hold sway, handing over
to those on Afternoon Watch who take
charge till 4 pm. However, from 4 pm to
8 pm, the watches are kept two hourly to
ensure rotation and avoid a situation
whereby the same set of people will keep
same watches on a daily basis.
Senior officers onboard NNS OKPABANA
include incoming Fleet Commander, ENC,
Commodore Rasaq Babalola; ENC’s Chief
Operations Officer (COO), Commodore
Adebayo Ayinde; Naval
Headquarters’ (NHQ) observer Captain
Richard Shammah; exercise’ information
coordinator, Sulaiman Dahun.
Aside the Obangame exercise, NNS
OKPABANA had in-ship trainings on fire
fighting, emergency evacuation
(abandoning ship), man overboard and
steering breakdown. The Marine Engineer
Officer (MEO) Commander Joshua
Daelung, while taking civilians on board
for a tour, said the drills were routine and
usually carried out whether alongside or
at sea.
He said: “We usually have drills and
exercises whether at sea or alongside, so
if there is a real life situation, we can
tackle it. Although what you are seeing is
simulated smoke, it tells the fire fighters
and investigators what to expect in real
situation.
“First, a team of investigators go to find
out the cause of fire. If the situation is
within their control, they tackle it, but if it
is beyond them, they will radio and the
entire ship company becomes involved
“Bridge, engine room and prepare lockers
are the three compartments of the ship.
They then share the three compartments
and try to put out the fire. Meanwhile,
the medicals are on ground to treat
anyone injured.
“If they still cannot solve the problem,
then, preparations to abandon ship will
commence, and all onboard will muster to
the emergency station according to their
life raft numbers, where the Commanding
Officer will address everyone and give the
directive to abandon ship.”
Thrilled by the expertise exhibited by the
navy on the high sea, a Nigerian Customs
officer, Samuel Agholor, expressed
confidence in its ability to effectively
safeguard the nation’s waters.
He said: “This exercise has exposed me to
the capabilities of the NN and their ability
to efficiently rescue hijacked vessels. I
have also witnessed the proficiency of the
SBS and I have no doubt that the marine
unit of the Nigerian Customs will
henceforth, communicate with the navy
whenever we hear of similar distress.
Before now, we have only been
contacting the marine police because we
patrol inland waters.
“Despite being secluded from the rest of
the world, I was able to get along socially
and made many friends on the ship. It
was a wonderful experience.”
A lawyer from the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission (EFCC), who was on
board the ship, said the experience had
afforded him a better insight as to the
resources, both human and material,
expended to arrest a criminal vessel.
“The navy usually hands over vessels
involved in oil theft to the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). We
prosecute these vessels and suspected
culprits. This exercise has further
solidified the existing relationship
between both agencies and it has
exposed me to the rigours the Nigerian
Navy go through to protect our resources
and territorial integrity in the waters,” he
said.
A Deputy Commandant, Nigeria Security
and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC),
Danjuma Dadi, described the experience
as an eye opener, appreciating the efforts
being made by the navy to secure the
nation’s waterways.
On the evening of the seventh day, other
observers from the Nigerian Maritime
Administration and Safety Agency
(NIMASA), Nigerian Customs, EFCC and
NSCDC, were disembarked from NNS
OKPABANA with the use of a ladder into
NNS CENTENARY’s small boat to return
home, while NNS OKPABANA navigated
through Bakassi, catching a glimpse of
Mount Cameroon, the Limber seas and
finally anchoring at the Douala Port for
the closing ceremony.
http://thenationonlineng.net/seven-days-high-sea-navy/

Ok,pic nko

As my oga at the top R/adm AA Sule will say "Onward to Get Her I leave you to find out who the Her is"

May the Almighty continue to grant our Galant sailors Fair Winds in Jesus Name

I love the sea .......reporting live from Okpoama ,Brass Island .

Nigerdeltaboi:
I love the sea .......reporting live from Okpoama ,Brass Island .

Nice one bro, I recognise ur face from fajuyi hall, OAU.

giantstrides:


Nice one bro, I recognise ur face from fajuyi hall, OAU.

yea bros , i stayed in fajuyi , final year then ...how far na ......greatest Ife

Nigerdeltaboi:
yea bros , i stayed in fajuyi , final year then ...how far na ......greatest Ife

I'm good bro, been coming across ur posts on military topics since, so I decided to mssg u today. I think you were in the man o war brigade then ? Add me on 331626B3 let's chat there bro.

Nice one @ ibnsultan.
Y not make it in form of a diary for those interested in following up.
The post on d ops of d sbs wasn't 'visual' enough. It's always nice to hear details of d exploits of our soldiers.
Kudos n be safe