Sam Kaye
The Theatre Commander (TC) operation Hadin Kai Major General Waidi Shaibu has said that Improvised Explosive Devices (IED’s) have been substantially degraded in the Command theatre.
He said this recently while taking delivery of equipments from the British Defense Section (BDS) in west Africa who supported the theatre training school with the ordinances for counter IED’s.
General Waidi revealed that the military understands now that these IED’s have been the weapon of choice of the terrorists to wreck havoc on the populace which is why they are confronting it frontally.
The TC confirmed that the prevalence of the explosives across the theatre has actually reduced drastically adding that the introduction of these new equipments will surely assist in further degradation of these killer bombs which the boko haram insurgents have been using to lay siege and ambush troops on major routes.
Shaibu expressed gratitude to the BDS in west Africa for their support to the theatre which he noted has reduced the prevalence of the torments of these IED’s on civilians adding that with these sophisticated equipments a lot more will be achieved.
Deputy Commander BDS Colonel Martin Leach said that he was happy the hand over is taking place in a timely manner after a six weeks training program conducted for officers and men that will use it to safe guard the theatre.
He added that the United Kingdom stands with Nigeria in the elimination of the IED’s which is why the equipments are coming at a time it would be quite useful and handy.
The equipments which cuts across all level of IED and strategies of the insurgents will surely help especially now that there is an increase in detonation in the theatre noted some of the students who expressed their excitement to this reporter.
There was equal excitement in the air by British officers who graced the occasion clad in their uniforms especially for the supply of the “8 balloon dual censor detector that can detect all manner of IED’s to assist the present partnership between the two countries.
Highlights of the occasion which took place at the theatre HQ was the signing ceremony of documents for the transfer of the equipments worth about 450,000 pounds to the armoury of operation Hadin Kai and a demonstration on how troops can handle IED’s when their comrades are wounded.
IED’s have become a major challenge for troops movement in their determination to end the 15 year old war which has cost the Nigerian government billions of naira to prosecute.
Hundreds of troops and civilians have lost their lives to IED’s while several others are now either totally crippled or wearing prosthetic legs to continue life’s journey after loosing their legs to these death traps.