The Chief of Naval Staff (CoNS), Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has said the Lake Chad and its adjoining waterways will be secured by the military to enable fishing, transportation and other socio-economic activities in the North-East.

According to him, effective collaboration between the military and other security agencies is critical to securing the lake and insurgency-affected communities and ending the war.

Abbas made the commitment yesterday in Maiduguri during a working visit to naval formations in the Lake Chad Basin, including those in Baga and along the lake’s shores.

Briefing journalists at the Theatre Command of Maimalari Containment, the naval chief said: “Our joint military action with security agencies and the Civilian JTF in Lake Chad and its shores will enable fishermen and farmers to resume their economic activities by securing the lake and dozens of waterways that serve many communities in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.”

Beyond securing the lake, he added: “We are in Maiduguri to assess the operational requirements of troops in the Lake Chad region comprising Chad, Cameroon, Nigeria and Niger Republic.”

He further explained that the joint military operations with other security agencies were aimed at denying Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists freedom of action in Lake Chad and its waterways, which serve communities affected by more than a decade of insurgency.

Earlier, Abbas inspected the ongoing construction of the Maiduguri Naval Base (MNAB), located about 10 kilometres east of the city along the Monguno Road, before proceeding to the naval base in Baga, Borno State.

After returning from Baga, the Chief of Naval Staff, accompanied by senior officers from the Theatre Command, paid a courtesy visit to Governor Babagana Zulum at the Government House in Maiduguri.