The Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya has urged the Army Cadets of Regular Course 69 of the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA, to deploy their newly acquired combat skills and competences to surmount security challenges.
General Yahaya gave the advice at the Battle Inoculation phase of Exercise Camp Highland, Nigeria Defence Academy in Kaduna State.
The event wrapped up final exercises for the Army cadets, before their passing out of the prestigious Academy later in October this year.
The COAS expressed satisfaction with the level of training received by the Cadets and noted that with the recent review of training curriculum in the academy, there has been remarkable improvement in the quality of cadets’ combat training.
He expressed optimism, that as junior commanders, they would add value to ongoing operational efforts to restore peace and security in troubled parts of the country.
While pointing out that a lot of resources have been invested in training the cadets, the COAS expressed appreciation to the Commander- in- Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, President Mohammadu Buhari for the confidence reposed in the NA, as well as his support and strategic guidance.
He assured the President and all Nigerians that the NA in synergy with other services and security agencies would “speak to the insurgents and bandits in the language they understand”.
Describing Exercise Camp Highland Battle Inoculation as a “baptism of the Army Cadets into battle”, the Commandant NDA, Major General Ibrahim Yusuf said that the exercise was a culmination of five years of training for the Cadets before their graduation.
The exercise featured a combat assault on a simulated objective with live firing by a combat team of cadets, supported from the air by the Nigerian Air force to inject realism into the exercise.
Senior officers who witnessed the exercise include; the Commander Training and Doctrine Command, Principal Staff Officers from the Army Headquarters, Corps Commanders and General Officer Commanding 1 Division.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
