The Nigerian Army trains 925 forest guards from Borno State to support operations against terrorism and insurgency in the state. The trainees complete a two-week theatre acclimatisation programme at the North-East Theatre Training School, Buni Yadi, Yobe State, and graduate on Sunday.
Operation Hadin Kai’s theatre commander, Major General Ibikunle Ajose, says the training is intended to prepare the guards to operate alongside military personnel rather than turn them into full soldiers. Reported instruction includes weapon stripping and assembly, aiming and firing, ambush tactics, and cordon-and-search operations. The programme also covers improvised explosive device (IED) awareness, handling suspected terrorists, unarmed combat, self-defence, and operating in difficult terrain and adverse weather.
At the graduation ceremony, Ajose describes the exercise as ending with “battle inoculation,” a simulation meant to reduce fear and panic under realistic conditions. Borno State’s information and internal security commissioner, Usman Tar, says the 925 trainees are drawn from the state’s 27 local government areas and will be handed over to the theatre command for deployment, with an emphasis on their knowledge of local terrain and culture.
