UK and UN Train Police and NSCDC Officers to Combat Expresive Threats
75 officers from the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corpshave received Explosive Ordnance Risk Education training from the United Kingdom Government in partnership with the United Nations Mine Action Service.
The first training, which took place in Maiduguri, ended on October 4, 2024. In a statement issued on Monday, Atinuke Akande-Alegbe, the Senior Communications and Public Diplomacy Officer at the British High Commission in Abuja, revealed this.
In order to lower the likelihood of casualties, the program sought to give NPF and NSCDC personnel the skills they needed to inform communities that are at risk about the risks of unexploded ordnance.
Now, the trained police will be sent to high-risk locations to educate locals on life-saving techniques.
John Sanderson, the British High Commission’s Human Security Adviser,emphasised the importance of the training during his remarks at the closing ceremony.
“Working with the NPF and NSCDC enables us to deliver these essential life-saving messages in hard-to-reach areas. It also builds sustainability, as the NPF and NSCDC will be present in these areas, working with communities to better protect people from the dangers posed by explosive ordnance,” Faigmane said.
NSCDC Commandant Abdulkadir Sulu highlighted the training’s benefits, stating, “Acquiring EORE will not only enhance the effectiveness of NSCDC personnel in helping communities affected by explosive remnants of war to stay safe, but it will also significantly contribute to ensuring the safety of our personnel and their families.”
The recently formed Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear training school in Maiduguri has formally begun operations, according to Commissioner of Police Patrick Atayero.
He thanked the UK Government and UNMAS for their assistance, calling the project a “milestone” in the creation of a safer environment in northeastern Nigeria.
