Army trains 925 Borno forest guards for counter-terrorism operations

The Nigerian Army has successfully trained 925 forest guards from Borno State in essential military skills, in order to support the ongoing fight against terrorism and insurgency within the state. The trainees completed a rigorous two-week theatre acclimatisation programme at the North-East Theatre Training School, located in Yobe State. Major General Ibikunle Ajose, the Theatre Commander for Operation Hadin Kai, announced this during the graduation ceremony of the participants.

Ajose clarified that the training aimed to prepare the forest guards to work alongside military personnel, rather than transforming them into full-fledged soldiers. The curriculum covered a range of skills including weapon stripping and assembly, aiming and firing, ambush tactics, and cordon-and-search operations. Additionally, the trainees were educated on Improvised Explosive Device awareness, handling suspected terrorists, unarmed combat, self-defence, and how to operate in challenging terrain and adverse weather conditions.

The culminating event of the training was a battle inoculation simulation, which exposed the participants to realistic battle sounds and conditions, with the goal of reducing fear and panic during actual operations. Ajose urged the newly trained forest guards to maintain discipline, professionalism, and decisiveness while fulfilling their duties and cautioned them against harassing civilians or engaging in rivalry with other security agencies.

Usman Tar, the Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, representing Governor Babagana Zulum, disclosed that the 925 trainees represented the 27 local government areas of the state. Tar emphasized that the local knowledge and cultural understanding possessed by the trainees would significantly enhance the effectiveness of the military troops and make them valuable force multipliers in ongoing operations.