GOC Tasks Troops On Mine Detection

The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division, Nigerian Army, Brig.- Gen. Victor Ezugwu, has charged troops to be confident and ensure proficiency in the mastery of mine detectors.

A statement by the division on Saturday indicated that Ezugwu gave the charge at the graduation of 7 Division personnel trained on mine detectors by 17 Field Engineer Regiment in Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri.

In the statement by Spokesman of the division, Lt.-Col. Kinsley Samuel, the GOC expressed optimism that the level of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks on the military would be drastically reduced with the training.

“We anticipate very low effects of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) on equipment and personnel in the Theatre with the newly-acquired mine detectors on which the participants were trained on,’’ he said.

He expressed gratitude to the Chief of Army Staff for giving 7 Division mine detectors, and hinted that more sophisticated detectors would be delivered to the Theatre soon.

Earlier in his address, the Commander of the Engineering Regiment, Brig.-Gen. John Chima, had given an overview of the course that the participants went through.

He said that it was a basic training to make the troops to be efficient in handling mine detectors.

The Commander, 57 Signal Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Olusegun Adeshina and Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, 7 Division, Col. Olusegun Abai, attended the ceremony.