The Nigerian Army has procured and commissioned 55 utility vehicles vehicles to increase the mobility and combat efficiency of troops ongoing the CT/COIN against Boko Haram terrorists and Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the North East.
The vehicles which include Toyota Hilux, Buffaloes, Innoson Motor Vehicles, Peugeot among others was commissioned on Wednesday, April 8, in Abuja. The commissioning was attended by the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai who was represented by the Chief of Logistics Nigerian Army, Major General Joel Uniugbe.
Major General Joel Uniugbe noted that “The model of vehicle is an asset and indeed force multiplier particularly in the North East terrain where the Armed Forces of Nigeria is conducting operations against Boko Haram criminals.”
For more than a decade now, Nigeria has been constantly battling Boko Haram and ISWAP, with no respite in sight. Thus, the military has drawn criticism from various quarters for its inability or unwillingness to end the war.
Regarding that, Uniugbe gave the assurance that the Nigerian Army will continue to defend the nation from both the external and internal threats.
In order to deny the terror groups freedom of movement and ambush, the Nigerian Army adopted a new warfare strategy called “Super Camp” whereby its troops will assemble and launch attacks from a heavily protected camps. Super Camps has also been criticized for its apparent inability to protect vulnerable population centers.
In more recent times, the Nigerian Army has procured several type of armored vehicles such as Streit Armored Personnel Carriers, Typhoon Mine Resistant and Ambush Protected (MRAPs), Ezugwu MRAPs, Proforce Ara MRAP, as well as more recently, Norinco VT4 Main Battle Tanks.