The Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla, on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, received the House of Representatives Ad-Hoc Committee on Insecurity in Benue State at the Naval Headquarters, Abuja.
The Committee, chaired by Honourable Gaza Jonathan Gbefwi, included Hon. Fred Agbedi, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene-Ogbaru, and staff of the House of Representatives. The visit was aimed at familiarising the Naval leadership with the Committee’s mandate and exploring collaborative measures to address the persistent security challenges in Benue State.
In his remarks, Honourable Gbefwi commended the Nigerian Navy and the Armed Forces of Nigeria for their ongoing efforts in addressing insecurity across the country but emphasized that more needed to be done to permanently resolve the intermittent crises in Benue State.
Senior officers at the Naval Headquarters offered a detailed analysis of the evolving security dynamics in the state and proffered actionable insights for improved response strategies.
Vice Admiral Ogalla, while welcoming the delegation, stressed the importance of a “Whole-of-Society Approach” in tackling the conflict. He highlighted recent Navy interventions including the establishment of the Nigerian Navy Special Operations Command headquartered in Makurdi and the activation of the Nigerian Navy Marines, both aimed at enhancing security presence and response in the region.
He further noted that both kinetic and non-kinetic operations were being conducted in synergy with sister services and other security agencies to mitigate the crisis.
The Committee Chairman expressed appreciation to the CNS for the fruitful engagement and disclosed that the Committee would soon proceed to Benue State for further assessment and stakeholder engagements.
