Military Officers from the United States has arrived Nigeria to train a battalion of Nigerian Army officers and soldiers on counter-terrorism and insurgency operations.
The training expected to last for three months will be conducted in three phases for troops of the 145 Battalion.
Speaking at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State venue of the training, United States Ambassador to Nigeria, James Enwistle, urged countries within the Lake Chad Basin to continue to work together in the fight against terrorism and insurgency in the region.
The Ambassador stated that the war against the Boko Haram terrorists in the Northeast was already yielding positive and tremendous result as Boko Haram had been largely defeated as a result of the ongoing collaboration between the US and Nigerian military in the areas of training of soldiers.
He urged the Federal Government to improve the socio-economic development of the Northeast affected by Boko Haram attacks to secure long term stability in the region.
Also speaking, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Owonishakin, said that the President Muhammadu Buhari led government was determined to ensure that the Nigerian Armed Forces were adequately equipped to fight terrorism and other security challenges.
Owonishakin posited that collaboration between the US military and Nigeria Military was borne out of the commitment of the present administration in waging war against global terrorism and violent extremism.
He urged participants to use the opportunity to improve their military skills and capacity.
On his part, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, advised participants to adapt with the new tactics to deal with the situation in view of the enormous security challenges facing Nigeria and the need for them to adapt with the new tactics to deal with the situation.
He restated the Nigerian Army’s commitment towards strict observance of human rights and international humanitarian laws in the ongoing military effort at liberating the Northeast from the insurgents.
