Theatre Commander Inaugurates IED Awareness Training For CJTF

Theatre Commander Inaugurates IED Awareness Training For CJTF

In an effort to forestall Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) occurrences in the North East (NE) Theatre of Operations, the Theatre Commander Joint Task Force NE Operation HADIN KAI Maj Gen W Shaibu, today 4 March 2024, inaugurated IED awareness and detection training for the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) at 47 Engineers Brigade Training School Maimalari Cantonment Maiduguri.

While inaugurating the training, Gen Shaibu said, the course was tailored towards equipping participants with requisite skills and knowledge required to search, detect, identify and mark IEDs for their safety while on operations, as well as that of the civilian populace in thier Area of Responsibility.

He emphasized that terrorists have been severely degraded and avoiding confrontation with forces in the field, hence the resort to employment of IEDs. He noted that there was the need to do more in preventing the terrorists IED from hindering troops’ freedom of action and freedom of movement of citizens.

The Theatre Commander reiterated the need for a realistic training, assuring that the participants would be provided with requisite equipment to carry out thier duties effectively at the end of the training.

In his welcome address earlier, the Commander 47 Engineers Brigade Brig Gen AO Kazeem said the course was put up in line with the Theatre Commander’s intent of hosting the Counter Improvised Explosive Devices efforts in the theatre, by training members of the CJTF on IED awareness, search, identification and marking.

He used the channel to thank the Theatre Commander for making the course a reality by providing all the resources required to run the course effectively and efficiently.

The programme was attended by the Deputy Theatre Commander Maj Gen KE Chigbu, Acting GOC 7 Division/Commander Sector 1 OPHK Brig Gen AGL Haruna, Component Commanders, Principal Staff Officers and CJTF drawn from the 3 Sectors under Theatre Command.