The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah, on Monday assured that the Federal Government would eradicate all forms terrorism and violence in the country.
Kenneth Minimah
Minimah gave the assurance in a keynote address at the Armoured Vehicles West Africa Conference held in Abuja.
“The army, indeed the armed forces had taken adequate measures in collaborating with relevant government ministries, departments and agencies to stem the tide of insecurity and ensure public safety and human rights.
“We have also partnered with these bodies to ensure the rule of law, in line with our constitutional roles.
“One of these measures is the modernisation of equipment to enhance our operational capabilities in line with contemporary threats.’’
Minimah said that these measures were complemented with improved training, enhanced troops welfare and relevant doctrinal review.
He said the measures would also regenerate the military force and strengthen their posture to deal with national and global security challenges.
“This conference is therefore important to us as it will afford us the opportunity to interact with a wide array of equipment experts to discuss trends of advancement of technology especially for armoured platform.
“Our interactions over the next two days would enable us to gain strategic insight into innovation that could increase the mobility and survivability of our troops in both internal security and peace support operations.
The army chief re-emphasised the importance of closer interface between the producers and end-users of defence and security related platforms and equipment.
He said this was critical because innovations in the defence and security continuum were driven by threat dynamics which in turn shaped the needs of each nation’s armed forces.
Minimah explained that this closer interface would bring about the ability to federate and incubate ideas that would not only boost confidence and engender deeper partnership between stakeholders, but would also speed up innovation and enterprise within the entire chain.
Mr Franklyn Ohakim, Director of Mekahog Limited, one of the exhibitors, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), that a purpose-built IKRI iArmoured Personnel Carrier (APC) would be unveiled at the conference.
“Mekahog limited is already delivering on its immense potential on the African continent, with the ballistic and land mine protected all-terrain IKRIi APC which had been developed in close collaboration with the Nigerian Police.
“It is based on DCD protected Mobility’s renowned Springbuck APC range, which has been supplied to the police since 2006.
“The IKRI APC incorporates several new features requested by the police which made it entirely fit for purpose in this application.’’
He said the APC was known for its exceptional strength, reliability and the ability to adapt to local conditions as it was engineered specifically for the harsh operating conditions on the African continent.
According to him, IKRI provides the highest levels of personnel protection while being simple to operate.
“It has been designed around the ergonomics of the driver and crew, and is considered ideal for a broad spectrum of military and security related applications.’’
