Brief History of Eastern Naval Command
The Eastern Naval Command (ENC) was established in 1971, with the Headquarters at Calabar. The Command is one of the 3 operational commands of the Nigerian Navy tasked with carrying out the Nigerian Navy's statutory roles and other assigned duties both at peace and in war. Its Area of Responsibility stretches from Longitude 007° 20'E to Longitude 008° 30' 44"E. The Command has a coastline of about 110 nautical miles with 200 nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zone which extends into the Joint Development Zone with Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome and Principe.
The Command's sea AOR is about 22,000 square nautical miles. Its sea area is host to several national economic assets which include 12 crude oil loading terminals, about 500 oil fields, 6 Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants and 2 refineries. The area is also host to 3 major seaports, a rich fishery field and various industrial complexes lying across 9 major rivers interspersed with over 5,000 creeks and estuaries. On land, the ENC AOR covers 16 states from Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River upward to Bauchi, Yobe and Borno States, including the Lake Chad. The ENC is strategically poised to protect national security and economic interests in its AOR.
Command Leadership
Rear Admiral Chiedozie Donald Okehie
DSS, fdc psc+, psc (J)(UK), MA, CIPDM, MNIM MPhil
Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command
Rear Admiral Chiedozie Donald Okehie was born on 14 July 1972, in Imo State. He attended Nigerian Military School Zaria between 1983 and 1988. Thereafter, he was admitted into Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) as a member of 42 Regular Course in August 1990. Okehie was subsequently commissioned into the Logistics Branch of the Nigerian Navy as a Sub-Lieutenant in 1994, also attended Kings College London from 2010 - 2011.
He has served in various capacities at different ranks during the course of his career. He had his Watch Keeping Duties onboard NNS SIRI and MAKURDI. The officer also held various administrative appointments at Naval Headquarters like NA-CNS, DPR NAVSEC, DLL and DPIMED. He was later appointed as the Directing Staff AFCSC Jaji Jul 11 – Oct 12 before proceeding as CO NNS CENTENARY Mar 2014 - Nov 2016, Training Coordinator NNS QUORRA Aug 2018 - Apr 2019, DCOORD NDA Apr 2019 – Jun 2020, Comdt NNC Jun 2020 - Mar 2021 and Dy Comdt AFCSC. He is presently the Flag Officer Commanding, Eastern Naval Command, Calabar, Cross River State.
He has attended several military and civil courses. The military courses include the Sub Technical Course at NNS QUORRA in Oct 1995-Dec 1996, Navy Junior Staff Course in 2002 and Long Navigation, Direction and General Warfare Course in 2003. Others are AFCSC Course at in 2006 and 2007 as well as Management Training Course June 2007, Advanced Command and Staff Course UK July 2010 Disarmament, Demobilisation and Re-integration Course 2012, Strategic and Management Course; National Defence College Abuja 2017.
R Adm A Okehie enjoys Playing Chess, Reading and Watching Football. He is married and blessed with a son and twin girls.
Units Under Command
NNS VICTORY
Operations Base at Calabar
NNS PATHFINDER
Operations Base at Port Harcourt
NNS JUBILEE
Operations Base at Ikot Abasi
Eastern Fleet Headquarters
Calabar
Forward Operations Bases
BONNY and IBAKA (Rivers & Akwa Ibom States)
Naval Outpost
IKURU
NN Reference Hospital
Calabar
Naval Medical Centre
Borikiri, Port Harcourt
NN Secondary Schools
Calabar and Port Harcourt
Barracks Maintenance Units
Calabar and Port Harcourt
Naval Flying Unit
Port Harcourt
Objectives & Responsibilities
The statutory responsibilities assigned to the NN which are aimed at achieving our national defence objectives are categorized into 3 broad spheres:
Military Role
Seaward defence of the south eastern flank of the nation stretching from the Bight of Benin and encompassing the Gulf of Guinea up to the limits of our EEZ.
Diplomatic Role
Primary point of contact for Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Principe and Gabon. Forward presence and flag showing visits.
Policing Role
Coordinated information gathering, prevention of illegal bunkering, pipeline vandalism, anti-piracy, fisheries protection, and Search and Rescue operations.
Operational Activities
The operational activities of the Command include maintaining presence at sea, anti-smuggling, anti-sea robbery/piracy, anti-fishery patrol and anti-illegal bunkering. Others include escort duties, RMAC surveillance, Falcon Eye (FE) and joint operations.
Anti-Smuggling
Operations carried out in Calabar and Akwa Ibom State waters sharing international maritime boundaries with Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome.
Anti-Illegal Bunkering
Fixed station patrol and choke point control to stem the tide of Crude Oil Theft, illegal bunkering, illegal refinery and pipeline vandalism.
Escort Duties
Providing security in form of escort and static guard duties to international oil companies and their subsidiaries. Naval convoy escorts of ferry boats for Calabar, Opobo, Bonny, and Port Harcourt River Channels.
Joint Operations
Involved in various joint operations such as Op DELTA SAFE, SKOLOMBO, THUNDER and SPARK.
Surveillance Capabilities
Employing both the RMAC and Falcon Eye facilities to monitor shipping movement. Display Centres at Calabar with Sensor Sites at Ibaka, Bonny and Iko.
Search & Rescue
Conducting Search and Rescue (SAR) operations within the ENC Area of Responsibility.
Headquarters Eastern Fleet
The Headquarters Eastern Fleet (HQ EF) is responsible for maintaining adequate presence at sea for effective maritime security of the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) Area of Responsibility (AOR) Maritime Domain. To achieve this, the HQ EF ensures that one capital ship in the Fleet is at sea daily to ensure effective monitoring of the ENC AOR MD.
The ENC AOR lies from Longitude 007°20'E to Nigeria's maritime boundaries with Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome and Principe, extending seawards up to 350 nautical miles. Currently, there are 16 platforms comprising 8 capital ships and 8 Fast Patrol craft in the Fleet.
NNS PATHFINDER
NNS PATHFINDER is a Type "A" operation Base established in 1986 to enhance operations of the NN in securing Nigeria's maritime domain. The Base was relocated from NNS AKASO, Borikiri to its present location erstwhile known as Horicon Base and subsequently commissioned as NNS OKEMINI in 1987. The Base was later renamed NNS PATHFINDER in May 2003, occupying a land area measuring about 180 hectares within Rumuolumeni Community in Ikwerre Clan of Rivers State.
The location of the Base is strategic because most Federal Government critical infrastructures, multinational oil companies and other maritime assets that contribute immensely to the economy of the nation are in NNS PATHFINDER Area of Operations within the Niger Delta Region.
Tender Units:
- Nigerian Navy Primary School PATHFINDER
- Navy Medical Centre PATHFINDER
NNS VICTORY
The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) VICTORY, formally known as NNS ANASA, was established in 1974 as one of the Type-A Operations Bases of the NN to increase naval presence in the nation's eastern maritime boundary. The Base's Area of Operations lies between the borders of Cross River and Akwa Ibom States to the west and the Republic of Cameroon to the East.
NNS VICTORY is tasked with the policing role of the NN, anti-piracy/anti-sea robbery operations and aid to civil authority. The base is saddled with the operational responsibility of protecting and securing the inland waterways of Calabar along with her adjoining creeks, while also supporting operations at sea up to the limit of the nation's EEZ.
NNS JUBILEE & Forward Operating Bases
NNS JUBILEE was established in July 2010 as a Type A Operations Base. The Base is saddled with the responsibility of carrying out NN constitutional roles including the renewed fight against Crude Oil Theft, illegal bunkering, piracy and sea robbery.
NNS JUBILEE's AOO covers from Longitude 007°13' East to Longitude 008°19' East, encompassing Akwa Ibom State and parts of Bonny Island in Rivers State. NNS JUBILEE is the mother Ship to both FOB IBAKA and NOP IKURU.
FOB BONNY was established in Dec 05 to protect strategic oil and gas installations while securing the creeks, inland waterways and their approaches up to the limits of Nigeria's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Naval Flying Unit Port Harcourt
Naval Flying Unit (NFU) Port Harcourt (PH) was established on 4 Oct 04 due to the need for Forward Air Operating Base (FOB). The Unit is to provide logistic and Service support for NN helicopters operating within the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) Area of Responsibility (AOR).
The Nigerian Navy Air Arm (NNAA) resumed air operations in 2002 with the acquisition of the AGUSTA 109E helicopters. The NNAA with parent Base at Naval Air Base (NAB) Ojo, Lagos plays a vital role as a force multiplier in the execution of the NN policing roles in the nation's maritime domain.
Medical & Educational Facilities
NNRH Calabar
100-bedded facility commissioned in 2018 providing primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare services.
NN Secondary School Calabar
Established in 2005, commissioned on 4 August 2006, providing quality secondary education.
NN Primary School Calabar
Established on 16 Feb 87, providing basic education to children of NN personnel and host community.
NOWA Secondary School Calabar
Commissioned on 8 May 2015, providing secondary education for children/wards of personnel.
NOWA Daycare Nursery & Primary
Located at Ikot Ansa, commissioned on 29 November 1997.
BMU Calabar
Established in 2013, tasked with maintenance of accommodation and infrastructural facilities.