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| According to Punch, |
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 northeastern 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
Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon, had earlier announced a step up in
training to help Nigerian forces to stamp out the threat posed by Boko
Haram.
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.”
Source: Punch
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