Naval Chief Boosts Morale Of Frontliners, , Vows To Crush Terrorists In Lake Chad Region
In a powerful show of solidarity, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), spent New Year’s Day 2026 visiting troops battling terrorists in Nigeria’s volatile Northeast, with a sharp focus on dismantling terrorist strongholds around Lake Chad.
On Thursday, Admiral Abbas toured the Headquarters of Joint Task Force Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) in Maiduguri, where Theatre Commander Major General AE Abubakar briefed him on recent battlefield triumphs.
Seamless joint operations by land, maritime, and air forces have hammered terrorist capabilities, leaving the insurgents reeling from relentless offensives. The CNS praised the troops’ resolve, pledging swift solutions to ongoing hurdles.
Admiral Abbas then headed to Naval Base Lake Chad (NBLC) in Baga, greeted by Commander Commodore Peter Gambo Yilme.
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He took a boat ride on waters recently swept clear of terrorist threats, reopening vital navigation routes and sparking hopes for economic revival in the terror-plagued region.
Sharing a New Year’s meal with NBLC officers and the co-located 196 Amphibious Battalion, the CNS hailed their sacrifices at Nigeria’s exposed northeastern frontier.
This frontline visit electrified morale among personnel holding the line against Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists. Accompanied by Rear Admiral MB Katagum (Chief of Operations) and Rear Admiral SH Abdullahi (Chief of Logistics), Admiral Abbas reaffirmed the Nigerian Navy’s ironclad commitment: to choke off Lake Chad’s waterways from terrorists through nonstop, coordinated strikes alongside sister services.
“Terrorists will find no safe haven on our waters,” the CNS declared, embodying his vision of a “mobile, agile, and professional naval force” safeguarding Nigeria’s borders and maritime domain.