By Nkechi Eze
The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Special Operations Command (SOC) of the Nigerian Navy, Rear Admiral Olusegun Soyemi, has carried out a maiden operational assessment visit to the Headquarters of the Joint Task Force (North East), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK), Maiduguri, Borno State.
According to an official statement by the Media Information Officer of OPHK, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, the two-day visit, held from November 12 to 13, was aimed at strengthening inter-service synergy and enhancing the effectiveness of joint operations in the ongoing counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism campaign across the North East theatre.
Rear Admiral Soyemi stated that the visit provided him with an opportunity to assess the state of operational readiness of personnel, review progress achieved so far, and identify challenges that require urgent intervention to improve service delivery in line with the objectives of the Nigerian Navy’s Special Operations Command.
He emphasized the importance of deeper operational integration among the various components of the Armed Forces, noting that synergy remained a crucial factor in achieving flexibility, resilience, and information dominance on the battlefield.
“The intervention of the Naval Headquarters in the theatre serves as a force multiplier in the fight against insurgency and terrorism, in line with the Nigerian Navy’s spectrum strategy and national security objectives. It will also contribute to boosting the economic growth of the region,” Rear Admiral Soyemi stated.
He further reaffirmed the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to supporting national security objectives through coordinated command and control mechanisms, particularly under the Naval Base Lake Chad. The FOC commended the comprehensive briefings he received from various OPHK components, describing them as insightful and detailed, and assured that all concerns raised during the engagement would be communicated to appropriate naval authorities for prompt action.
In his remarks, the Theatre Commander of OPHK, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, warmly welcomed the visiting naval commander and commended the Nigerian Navy for its sustained and unprecedented support to ongoing operations in the North East. He noted that the contribution of the maritime component had significantly enhanced the overall effectiveness and reach of the joint operations.
“The future of the battle space depends on our domination of the entire battlespace. We must do everything possible to secure them, not just for security reasons but also for their economic value,” Major General Abubakar emphasized.
The visit also featured the participation of the Deputy Theatre Commander, Air Vice Marshal Essen Efanga; the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division and Commander Sector 1 OPHK, Brigadier General Oguchukwu Unachukwu (represented by the Chief of Staff, 7 Division); component commanders; and principal staff officers of both the Headquarters Theatre Command OPHK and Headquarters 7 Division, Nigerian Army.
The event was rounded off with the presentation of a souvenir to Rear Admiral Soyemi and a group photograph to commemorate the visit.
