By Dupe Durumi
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has charged the 1,126 special Forces (Warriors) that graduated to decisively scale up the aggressive pursuit of terrorists.
He also charged them with dealing with the insurgents and other criminal elements threatening national security, while upholding ethical soldiering, discipline, and respect for human rights.
Shaibu made the call at the graduation ceremony of the Advanced Infantry Training, tagged Exercise RESTORE HOPE IX, at the Nigerian Army Training Centre, Kachia, Kaduna State.
He also urged the officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army to sustain professionalism, discipline and combat-readiness in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.
He described the exercise as a flagship post-basic training programme aimed at instilling battle ethos, sharpening combat skills and preparing officers and young soldiers for the realities of modern warfare.
The COAS said that the training was physically demanding, mentally taxing, and professionally challenging, adding that rigorous training was indispensable to success on the battlefield.
He commended the participants for successfully completing the exercise and noted that graduates of previous editions had acquitted themselves creditably across various theatres of operation.
According to him, this had validated the relevance and quality of the training delivered under Exercise Restore Hope, adding that he had high expectations for the graduating troops as they proceed to operational deployment.
The army chief said that although some participants were deployed early due to operational exigencies, all would ultimately operate as a cohesive and professional fighting force.
Shaibu reiterated that training remained the cornerstone of his command philosophy.
According to him, it seeks to transform the Nigerian Army into a more professional, adaptable, combat-ready and resilient constitutional force capable of operating effectively within a joint and multi-agency environment.
He said his leadership was committed to introducing innovative training regimes while consolidating existing ones to strengthen manpower capacity and operational effectiveness.
The COAS expressed confidence that the skills acquired during the exercise would further enhance the potency, lethality and effectiveness of Nigerian Army troops.
Shaibu also urged the troops to demonstrate empathy toward citizens while remaining firm and resolute against threats to peace and stability.
He assured the officers and soldiers of firm leadership and sustained support, while tasking commanders at all levels to lead, support and care for their troops.
The COAS commended President Bola Tinubu for his unwavering support for the Nigerian Army.
He also praised the Chief of Training (Army) and his team, as well as the Commandant of the Nigerian Army School of Artillery, instructors and support staff, for ensuring the success of the exercise.
Shaibu urged the graduating officers and soldiers to apply the skills, discipline and values acquired during the training to the effective discharge of their duties.
Earlier, the Chief of Training (Army), Maj.-Gen. Valentine Okoro described Exercise Restore Hope as a critical platform for building a professional, adaptable and combat-ready force for the Nigerian Army.
He said the exercise, which began as a post-basic orientation package for young soldiers, had evolved into the Nigerian Army’s model training programme for enhancing lethality and operational dominance across theatres of operation.
According to him, the exercise was initiated under the tutelage of the current Chief of Army Staff (COAS) when he served as the Deputy Chief of Training (Training and Exercises), noting that the programme had now reached its ninth series.
“The sustainability of Exercise Restore Hope over the years reflects the professionalism, competence and resilience of the Nigerian soldier, especially as our instructors effectively sustained the programme after the exit of foreign mentors,” he said.
Okoro stated that graduates of the exercise had continued to justify the vision behind the training through their effectiveness and proficiency in various operational theatres, leading to the expansion of the training capacity from one battalion to two battalions.
He added that the objectives of the exercise aligned perfectly with the COAS’s command philosophy, stressing that the programme had become one of the Army’s most important avenues for generating a combat-ready force.
The chief of training explained that the graduates underwent intensive training in marksmanship, physical fitness, combat medic skills, direct action operations, and ‘Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE)’, among other high-intensity combat skills.
“The soldiers have been trained to operate under strenuous and austere conditions.
“They are proficient in weapon handling by day and night, capable of accurate first-round engagement, and able to fight effectively as a team,” he said.
Okoro affirmed that the training objectives had been fully achieved, adding that every graduating soldier had been transformed into a highly resilient and effective combatant.
He further disclosed that the COAS had approved the conduct of subsequent batches of the exercise and had directed the development of a reward and welfare framework to motivate outstanding graduates in the field.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and the COAS promote and decorate six instructors of Exercise Restore Hope.
