Nigerian Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Zubairu Gambo, says Nigerian naval officers are colluding with criminal elements in the Gulf of Guinea.

Rear Admiral Zubairu Gambo, Nigeria’s Naval chief of Staff has accused elements in his own navy of working with drug traffickers, bandits, kidnappers and economic saboteurs reports Dryad Global. The strident comments came as he unveiled his “vision and mission statements” in Abuja this week.

He said: “I warn personnel to avoid any act capable of tarnishing the image of the navy. Such acts would be met with heavy sanctions to act as a deterrence to others. On the other hand, Nigerian Navy personnel that exhibit high integrity and positive attributes that portray the navy in good light shall be rewarded handsomely.”

During his tenure as Naval chief, he pledges to strengthen established naval protocols and to achieve zero-tolerance for criminal activity within Nigeria’s navy. The Golf of Guinea continues to be beset by piracy and the illegal seizure, refinement and sale of petroleum products are rife in the area.