National security: Navy disclaims submission at Public Hearing of House Committee

The House of Representative Committee on National Security and Intelligence has held a public hearing on four Bills, including the Bill for an Act to Establish the National Commission against Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons (HB 10).

The Spokesman of Navy, Commodore Dahun  Suleiman for Chief of Naval Staff said that ‘during the hearing on this Bill, the representative of the Nigerian Navy (NN) duly presented the position of the Service on the proposed Act but went ahead to make some unauthorized, personal comments on the issue of trans-national trafficking of small arms and light weapons.”  

Dahun noted that this is as it relates to neighbours with which Nigeria maintains robust diplomatic security relationships/collaborations; a personal opinion that is at variance with the position of the NN.

Dahun said ”the NN wishes to categorically dissociate itself from the view of the senior officer.” 

 According to him, the NN appreciates the indelible contributions of our regional partners/neighbours in the fight against small arms and light weapons trafficking.

Pertinently, he added that effective and sustained regional cooperation towards ensuring maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea is a key priority of the NN.

Against this background he said that “the Service acknowledges the regional security efforts of our neighbouring countries within the existing frameworks of bilateral and multilateral cooperation’s and commits to working assiduously to strengthening these arrangements. Onwards Together.”

Dominica Nwabufo