Major General Bayode Adetoro representing the Chief of Operations, Army headquarters. Photo: Usman Sani/Radio Nigeria
Nigerian Army has charged troops on peacekeeping mission to maintain high standard of discipline and professionalism in their areas of deployment.
Chief of Operations Army headquarters, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja gave the charge at the graduation ceremony of Nigerian company 2 to the Economic Community of West Africa States Stabilization Support Mission in Guinea Bissau, held at the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Center Jaji, Kaduna State.
Represented by Major General Bayode Adetoro, the Chief of Operations explained that the pre-deployment training was vital to providing troops with essential knowledge required to function effectively in any peacekeeping operation.
He maintained that the skills and knowledge acquired during the training would assist troops navigate through challenges in executing their mission mandate.
Major General Taoreed Lagbaja also charged the troops to be guided by rules of engagement, observe human rights and respect diversity in the operating environment.
Earlier, Commandant of the Martin Luther Agwai International Leadership and Peacekeeping Center, Major General Emmanuel Akomaye Undiandeye explained that the pre-deployment training was to equip the earmarked unit with requisite skills and knowledge to function effectively and efficiently in their deployment to Guinea Bissau.
He said Nigeria had since the 1960s contributed troops to different peace support operations ranging from the Congo, Yugoslavia and Lebanon among others.
Major General Undiandeye cautioned the contingent to avoid ugly incidents that would tarnish the image of Nigeria and the Armed Forces.
A total of 172 officers and soldiers graduated after undergoing a four week pre-deployment training.
Highlight of the event were the stripping and assembling of rifles and push-up exercise by the troops.
Reporting by Usman Sani; Editing by Chinasa Ossai and Annabel Nwachukwu