The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has unveiled a cenotaph in memory of 11 Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) naval cadets who lost their lives in a boat accident during a military training exercise in Onne, Rivers State, in 1990.
Speaking during the wreath-laying ceremony at the Nigerian Navy Basic Training School (NNBTS), Onne, Shaibu said the monument was a lasting tribute to the young cadets of the NDA 41 Regular Course whose aspirations to serve the nation were cut short by the tragic incident.
The Army Chief recalled that the cadets died on July 23, 1990, when their boat collided with a stationary jetty and capsized during a routine training exercise. He stressed that although they did not fall on the battlefield, they made the ultimate sacrifice while preparing to defend Nigeria’s sovereignty, assuring their families that the nation would always honour their memory.
Also speaking, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, represented by Rear Admiral Jonathan Mamman, described the cenotaph as a fitting recognition of the fallen cadets’ service. He said the tragedy had prompted continuous improvements in the Navy’s training doctrines, safety procedures, emergency response systems and the use of modern simulation technology.
Abbas added that the Nigerian Navy remains committed to strengthening instructor development, medical support and psychological resilience programmes to ensure safer and more effective training conditions while upholding the highest professional standards.
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