By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
The British military has donated equipment worth N1 billion to the Nigerian Military’s North East Operation Hadin Kai JTF, comprising sophisticated and highly technical devices, as well as non-technical tools, to support the fight against Boko Haram insurgency.
At the handover ceremony at the Theater Command Training School in Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri, Deputy Commander of British Defense Staff, Col. Martins Leach, expressed his delight at the occasion, highlighting the strong partnership between the UK and Nigeria.
Col. Leach said: “I am delighted to be here today, to hand over these equipment and mark another development in the strong partnership between the United Kingdom and Nigeria.”
“The United Kingdom stands with the Nigeria in the continued fight against violence extremists organisations in the Northeast.
He said they deployed a team of British military personnel to the Operation Hadin kai to train the Nigerian troops on the detections, recovery and detonation of IEDs , where are they coming and who made them.
Responding, the Theater Commander, Northeast Operation Hadin kai Major General, Wahidi Shuabu said: “Training and equipment are the corner stone of any capacity building. . I am delighted to witness the hand over of counter explosive device equipment to the Nigerian Armed Forces “.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria have enjoyed many support from the British military in terms of equipment and training . Today the handing over of these explosive detection equipment will mitigate the cases of IEDs explosion and ambushes”, the theater Commander said.
He assured the United Kingdom and the British military in particular that the equipment will be put in good use , stressing that the counter IED equipment and the previous support from the British military is a testimony of the UK Government to the counter insurgency fight in the Northeast, Nigeria.
General Shuabu also commended the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, Chief of Army staff, Lt General Taured Lagbaja and other service chiefs for their support in the Operation Hadin kai.
