The United Kingdom has
deployed 35 military personnel in Nigeria as part of ongoing efforts to train
Nigerian Armed Forces to combat the Islamist terrorist group, Boko Haram.
The personnel, who were
drawn from the Second Battalion, the Royal Anglian Regiment, would provide
infantry training for Nigerian soldiers to tackle the extremist group in the
north-eastern part of Nigeria.
A statement by the Press
and Public Relations Affairs Officer, British High Commission, Joe Abuku, on
Wednesday in Abuja, said the number of British personnel deployed on training
tasks in Nigeria was expected to reach 300.
The personnel are also
expected to provide assistance in countering improvised explosive devices, as
well as medical training and advice.
The statement said a new
RAF training team to improve the knowledge and skills of the Nigerian Air Force
in airfield defence and counter-insurgency, would also be provided.
It said that the 2
RANGLIAN, based in Cottesmore, Rutland, had provided support for the military,
adding that the 130 personnel deployed in Nigeria in 2015, performed a wide
range of tasks.
These, he said, included
training in infantry skills, civil-military affairs, media relations, command
and leadership, IED-awareness, and support to Nigerian military training
schools and establishments.
The statement partly read,
“Almost 1,000 Nigerian Army personnel had benefitted from training to prepare
them for counter-insurgency operations in the North-East, and the work by 2
RANGLIAN, known as The Poachers, is now well-recognised across the AFN.
“The UK also supports a
Nigerian intelligence and analysis cell focussed on the North-East and based in
Abuja, and nearly 30 UK Armed Forces personnel are deployed in Nigeria on an
enduring basis in training and advisory roles.”
Punch
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