From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
The United Kingdom government has pledged to support the Nigerian military with trainings and expertise to tackle incidents of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and landmines in the volatile northeast.
British Minister of State for Defence, Lord Vernon Rodney Coaker, announced on Wednesday during his visit to the counter-terrorism and operation headquarters, Joint Task Force Northeast Operation Hadin Kai in Maiduguri.
“Our focus is on training and we will give expertise to tackle IEDs because as you know, this do not affect military alone but also civilians,” he disclosed in an interview with journalists shortly after a close-door meeting with the Theatre Commander and other senior military officers in the threatre.
Coaker said Nigeria is one of UK strongest partners in West Africa. He said the two nations have a very strong military partnership. “That’s why the Prime Minister asked me to come here,” he disclosed.
According to him, Nigeria and UK have very close relationship.
“We are partners, and standing together to meet common goals and the purpose pf that is to tackle IEDs, some of the threats that we face,” he added.
Earlier during his visit to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, Coaker described Nigeria as a “strategic partner” of the United Kingdom.
Theatre Commander, Maj Gen Waidi Shuaibu said the operation was created to restore normalcy to the troubled northeast states and support civil authority.
He explained that the mandate has put a burden of ending insurgency and terrorism on the military, adding that knowledge through innovation with equipment are required to succeed. He commended UK partnership with Nigeria.