UK Assures to Support Nigerian Military in Tackling IED Attacks, Terrorism, Other Security Challenges

UK assures to support Nigerian Military in tackling IED attacks, terrorism, other security challenges

By Madu Mohammed, Maiduguri

The United Kingdom (UK) government has assured of it’s commitment to support Nigerian military in tackling Improvised Explore Device (IED) attacks in the country, Insurgency and other security challenges.

Speaking during his visit to the headquarters Northeast Operation Hadin kai, the UK Minister of State for Defence ,, Lord Vernon Coaker said

“just say to you, General, it’s not only you learning from us, but we learn from you. And I think that is an important principle for us to have. We know the importance of tackling IED, the indiscriminate use of IED by terrorists, not only against members of the Nigerian military, but some of the consequences that has for civilians..”

“So we’re very pleased to have been able to work with you to support that program. I would wish to continue to help you, with your agreement, if that is something that you would wish us to do. We are also very pleased to see other training taking place with members of the British military here, working with your soldiers, your military, in areas of training. “. He Said

The UK Minister ” To see how best different exercises can be undertaken, how best different tactics can be used. And, General, I have to say, training instructors to then leave here to be instructors themselves is a very successful project and something which works exceedingly well. And I know it’s something that has gone from strength to strength. Nigeria’s leadership, sometimes not without difficulty, within the MNJTF, and the work that you’ve done there and continue to do, some of that is challenging”,

“General, you’ve worked exceedingly hard, I know, to maintain that. And I think, again, that is something which is of real importance. And we will continue to discuss with you how we continue to support that effort. Can I also say that we see Nigeria as a partner in tackling some of the challenges you face here. But, of course, Nigeria’s success in working with other countries, in general, you mentioned it in your remarks about the importance of working with other nations and with other countries. We see Nigeria as an important leader in the region of West Africa. And our strongest, most reliable partner, which we would wish to continue to celebrate with you here today”, he added.

I start by thanking all of you in general, particularly you, for the real privilege that we all felt in having the Honour Guard that was there to welcome us when we arrived. It was a very moving experience, but it also demonstrated the closeness and the respect that the Nigerian military have for the British military, but also that the British military have for the Nigerian military. And that close relationship of equal parts is something which we should all celebrate and be thankful for. The General, the Government, His Majesty’s Government, still relatively new, wanted me to come to Nigeria very quickly and to say to you, as we said in Abuja.

He Said, the Defence Minister and His Majesty’s Government regards Nigeria as extremely important in terms of partnership, stressing the allies, and friendship.will stand for the rule of law, respect for borders, democracy and human rights..

Responding, the theater Commander Northeast Operation Hadin kai, Major General Wahidi Shuaibu “The establishment of the Counter IED Coordination Cell provides the Theatre with a hub to gather all kinds of information about the IEDs used by the insurgents.”

He Said “The presence of the Minister of State for Defence with us today in JTF (NE) theatre of operation validates that assertion. So it gives me great pleasure to welcome Lord Vernon Coaker and his distinguish entourage to the Capital City of Maiduguri (Home of Peace) which also host the HQ JTF (NE) OPHK. The mandate of the JTF (NE) OPHK is to facilitate the Restoration of Normalcy in the NE Region to Enable Socio-Economic Activities to Thrive.”.

“This mandate not only places on us the responsibility of defeating insurgency in the Northeast, but also to support the civil authority to reestablish an enabling environment for the citizens to return to normal life. This provide an opportunity for IDPs to return to their ancestral homes to re-establish livelihoods and promote economic prosperity both individually and collectively as a community.”

“The information will allow us develop intelligence that will lead to dismantling the network which gives the insurgents the capabilities to make and deploy IEDs in the Northeast and across Nigeria. We find this hub very useful indeed and your team has been doing well in terms of providing mentorship to get the cell up and fully running. The various IED detection and clearance equipment, office equipment and furniture, tactical intelligence kits, laptops and a 5 Kva generating set among others, have contributed to providing our troops with the tools needed to detect, neutralize and disarm IEDs effectively.”, the theater Commander Said.

General Wahidi Shuaibu said” In the same vein, The Instructor Development Programme being implemented in collaboration with the BDS-WA brings instructors and potential instructors from across the theatre of operations and the Multinational Joint Task Force together for an intense 6 week train-the-trainer course. The programme has the objective of developing a group of instructors across the theatre and MNJTF, so that the different sectors can organize trainings for their troops. The participation of the troops from MNJTF also provides the opportunity for our troops and troops from other nationalities of the Lake Chad Basin Countries to train together. This presents a platform for fostering camaraderie amongst our troops and synergy in operations.”

He on behalf of the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen CG Musa, OFR and the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen OO Oluyede – NAM, thanked the UK Government for the C-IED equipment donated to the Theatre and also thanked the BDS-WA for the collaboration in supporting the Nigerian military to achieve it’s mandate.

The presence of the Minister of State for Defence with us today in JTF (NE) theatre of operation validates that assertion. So it gives me great pleasure to welcome Lord Vernon Coaker and his distinguish entourage to the Capital City of Maiduguri (Home of Peace) which also host the HQ JTF (NE) OPHK. The mandate of the JTF (NE) OPHK is to facilitate the Restoration of Normalcy in the NE Region to Enable Socio-Economic Activities to Thrive. This mandate not only places on us the responsibility of defeating insurgency in the Northeast, but also to support the civil authority to reestablish an enabling environment for the citizens to return to normal life. This provide an opportunity for IDPs to return to their ancestral homes to re-establish livelihoods and promote economic prosperity both individually and collectively as a community.

2. The fulfillment of such a mandate requires that troops are not just equipped with the necessary materials but also the knowledge and refresher trainings required to keep them abreast of the correct ways to handle evolving security challenges. The JTF (NE) OPHK has ensured the constant training and retraining of its personnel through the Theatre Training School which is responsible for the conduct and coordination of training activities throughout the theatre of operation within the Northeast. As we know, military diplomacy is the one of the essential constituent of international diplomacy used to foster both bilateral and regional relationship. And military training cooperation is also an essential ingredient of that military diplomacy. Hence over the years, the BDS-WA has made significant contributions not only to our efforts in Counter Insurgency, but also in our training efforts by giving our troops the required knowledge and skills to discharge their tasks especially as it relate to CIED ops. The BDS-WA has provided support in Counter IED training, Tactical Instruction for Trainers and Instructors, the provision of Counter IED equipment and the establishment of a Counter IED Coordination Cell.