The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, has reaffirmed that defeating insurgency and other forms of criminality remains his top priority, stressing that the Nigerian Army is investing heavily in modern equipment and realistic training to achieve the goal.
Gen. Oluyede made this known on Tuesday during the opening ceremony of the Counter Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED) Workshop held at the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering (NASME), Makurdi, with the theme: “Leveraging Emerging Technologies for Sustained C-IED and Combat Engineering Support to the Nigerian Army.”
Represented by Maj. Gen. Philip Eromosele, Deputy Director-General Provost of the Nigerian Army Future and Heritage Centre, the COAS highlighted ongoing efforts to improve troops’ morale through massive procurement and capacity building.
“In a sustained effort to shore up troops’ morale and fighting spirit, the Nigerian Army under my watch will continue to embark on a massive acquisition drive,” he said.
According to him, some of the newly acquired equipment include Vallon handheld detectors, Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles (MRAPs), Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), Troop Carrying Vehicles (TCVs), excavators, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).
He added that arrangements were in progress to renew the contract with the U.S. Office of Security Cooperation to complete training on the MaxxPro C-IED MRAP and Husky vehicle, while directives had also been given for a full inspection of spare parts and procurement of additional requirements.
Gen. Oluyede commended security stakeholders and urged continued collaboration, noting that the fight against insecurity was a collective responsibility.
He pledged that the Nigerian Army would keep working closely with sister services and security agencies to ensure peace across the country.
The COAS also appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Minister of Defence, and the Chief of Defence Staff for their support, while praising the Nigerian Army Engineers (NAE) for consistently enhancing the Army’s C-IED capacity.
In his welcome address, Commander Corps of Engineers, Maj. Gen. Tonye Numbere, said the last C-IED workshop had strengthened operational capacity, particularly in the North East, leading to significant improvements in counter-IED operations despite the resurgence of explosive threats.
“The Corps will continue to adapt innovative methods to expand knowledge on global trends in C-IED operations and combat engineering.
This is in line with our commitment to eliminating IED threats and guaranteeing freedom of action for manoeuvre formations in the conduct of operations,” Maj. Gen. Numbere said.
The workshop, which drew participants from across theatres of operations, is expected to chart new strategies in leveraging emerging technologies to counter IED threats and enhance combat engineering in ongoing military operations.
