By Linus Aleke, Abuja
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, has underscored the primacy of continuous training of troops, adding that training is pivotal to his philosophy of command.
Gen. Yahaya said this during the graduation of officers and soldiers trained in the Exercise Restore Hope IV Series, at the Nigerian Army Training Centre, Kachia, Kaduna.
This is even as the COAS charged the troops to effectively deploy skills and knowledge gained from training for planning and conduct of operations for the attainment of national security objectives.
Director Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement, said, the training which began on the 25 of January 2023, had troops drawn from various formations and units, who have been undergoing rigorous training and drills in marksmanship, unarmed battle drills and other advanced Special Forces training.
The COAS noted that the Exercise Restore Hope training series provides the platform for the NA to sustain its efforts to adequately prepare the troops for operations in a complex and dynamic security environment.
He disclosed that preparations are almost completed for Exercise Restore Hope V, with the bulk of its troops coming from young soldiers who recently passed out from Depot NA.
The COAS expressed delight for the successful conduct of the training for the first time by the Nigerian Army Training Team, adding that the first to third series of Exercise Restore Hope was conducted by foreign partners, while the fourth series was solely conducted by the NA Training Team with the advisory of the foreign partners.
He noted that judging from the numerous benefits and impact of the Exercise, the series of training will be sustained in the NA, stressing that under his watch, training will be accorded its prime place in the NA.
Gen Yahaya reassured the nation of the unalloyed loyalty of officers and soldiers of the NA to the President and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The statement concluded that the well-attended ceremony showcased a series of shooting and tactical drills to demonstrate the newly acquired combat prowess of the graduands.
