CNS Orders Personnel to Support Democracy and Demonstrate Dedication to Duty

Linus Aleke in Abuja

Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, the Chief of Naval Staff, urged Nigerian Navy officers and ratings to stay committed to their duties and to provide steadfast support to the country’s democracy and established institutions.

He warned that any behaviour that could tarnish the Service’s reputation was unacceptable, and promised that the Navy would supply the resources needed for personnel to perform optimally.

The charge was delivered during the 2026 Second Quarter Route March held at the Naval Base, Admiralty Estate, Asokoro, Abuja.

Rear Admiral Samiu Adepegba, the Chief of Communication and Information Technology, explained that the exercise aimed to boost physical and mental readiness in line with modern security challenges, and to reinforce esprit de corps among Navy personnel and other security agencies.

I enjoin you to continue to be professional in the conduct of your duties and day-to-day activities. Furthermore, I encourage you not to engage in any act that could bring the Service into disrepute in the course of your duty. The Nigerian Navy will continue to support you by providing all that is required to function optimally in your assigned tasks and I charge you to show dedication to duty and unflinching support to our democracy and constituted authority.

He noted that the Navy’s constitutional mandate is to protect the nation’s maritime domain and that it also plays a pivotal role in Gulf of Guinea maritime security initiatives and domestic security operations across the country.

He noted that these responsibilities make physical and mental fitness indispensable for operational effectiveness.

The Nigerian Navy is primarily responsible for the protection of the nation’s maritime domain and also a major contributor to the Gulf of Guinea maritime security arrangement. The Service is also a major participant in internal security duties all over the country. This makes it imperative for us to be mentally and physically fit at all times. Thus, exercises and physical training remain the bedrock of naval personnel’s daily readiness for sea and shore duties. Notably, the commitment of the Nigerian Navy towards enhancing mental and physical fitness has yielded dividends as witnessed in its sterling contributions to national security, peace and prosperity. It is in recognition of this fact and the desire of the Service to keep personnel physically fit that the Route March, among other physical fitness exercises, is sustained in the Nigerian Navy schedule of events.

He further emphasised the importance of civil‑military relations, noting that cordial engagement with civilians enhances intelligence gathering and operational effectiveness.

Pertinently, the performance we have witnessed today guarantees that the Nigerian Navy will continue to meet its constitutional commitments in collaboration with other security agencies in Nigeria to improve national security. In this regard, I enjoin you all to keep the flag flying by diligently performing your duties while maintaining utmost regard for human rights. I urge you to continue to be law‑abiding citizens and at the same time maintain cordial and improved relationships with the civilian population and other stakeholders. Moreover, your duty to defend the territorial integrity of our fatherland will be meaningless if the Nigerian populace is not enjoying harmonious relationship with the Armed Forces.