Naval Chief Hails Troops’ Assault On ISWAP In Lake Chad

Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla has expressed satisfaction with troops for their bravery in decimating Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters in the Lake Chad region, urging them to sustain their momentum.

The CNS also charged troops fighting Boko Haram terrorists to remain resolute as the federal government is making resources available to them.

Ogalla spoke at the Naval Base in Baga, Kukawa local government area, a town hit by Boko Haram terrorists at different times – a recent attack being that of the Naval Base in Baga on June 18, 2025.

The CNS assured troops that the Naval headquarters was working on deploying additional fighting equipment and manpower to further support their efforts.

He charged the troops to take the battle to all the enclaves of the terrorist groups in and around Lake Chad and ensure that the waterways of Lake Chad are safe for all.

“I’m here on an operational visit to Naval Base, Lake Chad and  by extension to the Operation Hadin Kai Theater Command Headquarters. This base is one of the strategic bases for the Nigerian Navy’s contribution to counter-insurgency in the North East.

“I have also come to commend the troops because of the efforts they put in ensuring that the enemy (ISWAP) suffered great casualties when they came to attack the Naval Base recently. If at any time they want to attack our Naval Base again,  they will think twice because of the massive defeat they suffered,” Ogalla said.

The Chief of Naval Staff who visited Baga alongside the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai  (OPHK)  Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, advised  the troops to eschew inter – agency rivalry, pointing out that the collective objective should focus on taking out the enemy of the state.