Insecurity: Remain ahead of adversaries, Army tells officers

Maj. Gen. Auwalu Mahmuda,  General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Ibadan, has charged officers to remain tactical and operational ahead of adversaries in the country.

Mahmuda gave the charge on Friday during the final ceremony of the Inter-Brigade Combat Proficiency Competition 2026 held at the 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure.

The GOC, represented by Brig. Gen. Muhammed Momoh, said regular training and competition were vital to sharpening the skills and readiness of troops in tackling evolving security threats.

“As the Nigerian Army remains a key stakeholder in tackling the mild security challenges facing our dear country, personnel must train continuously in order to remain ahead of adversaries at all times.

“As it is often said, we sweat more in peacetime through training and bleed less in war.

“So, the essence of this competition is to test our readiness and ensure that our officers and men are always prepared to confront any adversary,” he said.

The GOC, therefore, commended all participating formations for their resilience, professionalism, sportsmanship and commitment displayed throughout the competition.

According to him, the combat proficiency competition is designed to improve leadership skills, organizational ability, expounded corps, endurance, cooperation, and initiative among young officers.

Mahmuda, who called for more cooperation and collaboration from the critical stakeholders, commended Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State and head of security agencies for their support.

“The five formations which participanted in the competition were: 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure; 42 Div. Engineers, Ibadan; 12 Brigade , Lokoja; 2 Div. Garrison, Ibadan and 4 Brigade, Benin.

“Participants representing their formations displayed individual determination and strong team spirit in activities such as tug of war, swimming, weapon handling, shooting, endurance run and obstacle crossing,” he said.

Mahmuda presented trophies, certificates and cash prizes to the top three brigades and urged all units to sustain the tempo of training to enhance the operational readiness of the division.

Newsmen report that in the overall competition, 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure came first; 4 Brigade, Benin came second; 12 Brigade, Lokoja came third; 42 Engineer, Ibadan came fourth and 2 Div Garrison came in fifth position.

Newsmen also report that representative of the heads of security agencies were present at the event, including Immigration, Police, FRSC, NSCDC, Correctional Services, Customs and Chairman, Akure South Local Government, Mr Gbenga Fasua.