Commission trains security personnel, Civilian JTF on safe disposals of explosive ordnance in Yobe
By Njadvara Musa, Maiduguri.
The North East Development Commission (NEDC), in partnership with the Makesafe Humanitarian Safe Service (MHSS), has trained dozens of security personnel and Civilian JTF on the safe disposal of explosive ordnance in Yobe communities.
According to the commission, the security personnel of the Nigerian Army, Civil Defence Corps, and vigilantes are operating in seven local government areas of the state.
Declaring the training session over the weekend in Damaturu, the Chief Executive Officer of MHSS, Group Captain Sadeeq Garba Shehu (rtd.), revealed that it aimed at educating residents and security personnel on the dangers of unexploded explosive ordnance left behind after the 16-year Boko Haram insurgency that had claimed many lives and property.
Highlighting the risks associated with unexploded bombs and ammunition, Shehu stated that explosives can continue to remain dangerous for several decades, particularly in accessible areas like farms and residential neighbourhoods.
“Today’s training emphasised that the participants should not make any attempt to dispose of explosives by themselves,” said the group captain, warning that they should instead learn to recognise hazards, mark dangerous areas, and alert trained personnel to manage these threats safely in both communities and the hard-to-reach areas, including the border communities.
Besides the safe disposal of explosives, the CEO stated, “Our goal is to empower local representatives to educate their communities by recognising and mitigating the risks associated with unexploded ordnance.”
While responding to the unexploded ordnance in the state, the Special Adviser on Security to Governor Mai Mala Buni, Brig. Gen. Dahiru Abdulsalam (rtd.), reiterated the training of security personnel, as it affects all facets of life in the state.
“For over 15 years, we have been having issues with the Boko Haram insurgency,” he said, lamenting that it has occasioned the use of firearms and all calibre and manner of lethal weapons that have destroyed many lives and property.
He noted that sometimes the ammunition or explosives used do not explode as required, warning that “they remain in various locations as unexpected ordnance that could explode anytime in communities.”
Abubakar Garba, a vigilante from the Gujba local council, and a community leader, Adamu Salisu, expressed gratitude for the ordinance training initiative, acknowledging the heightened risks posed by the buried and abandoned explosives and landmines in the various parts of the state, including the border communities.
Salisu reaffirmed that the training does not only equip communities but also provides them with life-saving information, stating that “This training has strengthened our collective efforts towards community safety and support from the security agencies.”
