Navy holds route march ahead of July 22 LG polls in Lagos

The Nigerian Navy on Saturday in Lagos assured residents of its commitment to secure the nation’s territorial waters as well as security of lives and property.

The Commanding Officer, Forward Operating Base, Capt. Olushina Ojebode, gave the assurance after a 7-kilometre route march by the Navy and other security agencies in the border town of Badagry, Lagos State.

The News Agency if Nigeria (NAN) reports that other security agencies that participated in the route march were Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

“The essence of today’s exercise is to enhance operational capabilities of our personnel and those of our sister agencies in the route march.

“I believe we will be able to perform our constitutional mandates better.

“One of the reasons for this exercise is to also assure the populace that they are safe and secured before, during and after the July 22 local government elections in Lagos State,” Ojebode said.

According to him, the exercise is also to strengthen the existing cordial relationship among all the security agencies.

Ojebode said that the idea was to engender cooperation among the security agencies in the discharge of their responsibilities to enable everyone to work together effectively.

“We want to let everyone know we are always ready and so, if need be to support other sister agencies in the elections, then we will,’’ he said.

Ojebode, however, warned anyone or group, who might be planning to disrupt the elections to have a rethink, saying that adequate security arrangements had been made to prevent the breakdown of law and order.

NAN reports that no fewer than 300 personnel from different security agencies participated in the route march that started at about 8:00 a.m.

The route march saw officers and men of different security agencies marching from the navy base at Topo to Badagry and back to the base.