National
Nigerian Navy Special Operations Chief Visits North-East Command, Reviews Joint Efforts Against Insurgents
BY: ADAMU ALIYU NGULDE
The Flag Officer Commanding the Nigerian Navy’s Special Operations Command, Rear Admiral Olusegun Soyemi, has paid a maiden operational assessment visit to the headquarters of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), in Maiduguri, as part of efforts to strengthen inter-service cooperation in counter-insurgency operations.
The two-day visit, held from November 12 to 13, focused on enhancing synergy among components of the Armed Forces and improving operational effectiveness in the fight against insurgency and terrorism in the North-East.
Rear Admiral Soyemi said the visit provided an opportunity to assess operational readiness, review successes, and identify challenges requiring intervention by Naval Headquarters. He underscored the need for “deeper operational jointness,” describing it as key to achieving greater flexibility, resilience, and information dominance in the theatre.
He noted that the intervention of the Nigerian Navy, particularly through its presence in the Lake Chad area, would serve as a “force multiplier” in counter-insurgency operations while also contributing to economic stability and regional growth.
“The Nigerian Navy Special Operations will continue to support national security objectives through coordinated command and control mechanisms,” Soyemi said.
The Theatre Commander, OPHK, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, welcomed the visit and commended the Navy for its “unprecedented support,” which he said had strengthened operational outcomes in the theatre.
“The future of the battle space depends on our domination of the entire environment. We must secure it not only for security reasons but also for its economic value,” Abubakar said.
Senior military officers, including the Deputy Theatre Commander, Air Vice Marshal Essen Efanga, and representatives of the 7 Division, Nigerian Army, attended the event, which concluded with a souvenir presentation and a group photograph.
