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Urges troops to hit terrorists’ enclaves
By Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, has confirmed the presence of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents around the Lake Chad region.
Admiral Ogalla made this admission over the weekend during an interaction with journalists in Maiduguri, shortly after his visit to the Naval Base in Baga, headquarters of Kukawa Local Government in northern Borno.
“There are some pockets of insurgents in the Lake Chad, and that is why we are here,” he disclosed.
He stated that his visit to the Lake Chad was to meet troops and urge them to remain focused despite a recent attack by ISWAP, which resulted in an unconfirmed number of casualties.
“I’m here on an operational visit to Naval Base, Lake Chad, and by extension, Operation Hadin Kai Theatre Command Headquarters. Our base is one of the strategic bases for the Nigerian Navy’s contribution to counter-insurgency in the northeast,” he said.
He revealed that the naval authority is planning to deploy additional fighting equipment and forces to reinforce existing manpower and hardware. He urged troops to take the battle to the terrorists’ enclaves and hideouts in the Lake Chad region.
The naval base at Baga came under heavy attack by ISWAP last Wednesday, with an unconfirmed number of casualties.