The 4 Brigade of Nigerian Army, Benin is to host 2018, 2 Division Army Inter Brigade Warrant Officers and senior non-Commissioned Officers competition.

Capt. Mohammed Maidawa, Assistant Director of Army Public Relations said in a statement issued in Benin that the competition would hold from Aug. 13 to Aug 17.

The competition is designed to enhance the leadership skills and organisational ability of officers.

“It is also intended to enhance the endurance, esprit-de-corps and prepare personnel for combat, given the increasing role being played by the Army to mitigate the current security challenges confronting the country.’’

He said that all the formations and units under the Division were expected to compete for trophies in five events.

He explained that the competing events include drills, map reading, combat swimming, physical fitness and obstacle crossing as well as skills at arms (shooting competition).

The participating formations and units are the 4 Brigade Benin, 22 Brigade Ilorin, 42 Brigade Akure, 42 Engineer Brigade, Ibadan, 52 Signal Brigade Ibadan and the 2 Division Garrison, Ibadan.

He advised the general public not to panic on hearing the sound of gunshots within the general area of the competition at the Ekenhua military cantonment.

Meanwhile, the Air Officer Commanding (AOC), Tactical Air Command (TAC), AVM Oladapo Amao, has called officers and men on the need for regular exercises to maintain healthy lifestyles.

Amao gave the advice on Saturday in Makurdi during the 2018 edition of the Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Annual 10 Km Walk/Jog/Run exercise.

The exercise was jointly carried out by Air Force personnel and those from other security agencies.

He said such regular fitness exercises would enable the security personnel to achieve mental, physical and emotional balance needed to carry out their duties.

“The exercise is meant to keep personnel physically, mentally and emotionally stable to cope with the demands and challenges of defending the country’s territorial borders,” he said.

Amao won the third place in the officers Men Walk category.

He commended the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, for providing the logistics for the event and charged personnel to take advantage of it to ensure regular exercises to maintain healthy bodies.

According to him, the exercise is in line with the CAS vision to reposition the Airforce into a highly professional and disciplined force through capacity building initiatives for effective and timely response to national security imperatives.

He said the exercise was also to provide a platform for sister security agencies to interact and build mutual relationships healthy for the task of defending the country.

Amao expressed happiness that there was no casualty during the exercise and commended the officers for their professionalism during the exercise.

Also speaking, Maj-Gen Chukwuemeka Okonkwo, Rector, Army Institute of Technology, Makurdi, said physical fitness was vital to military operations and charged security personnel to exercise regularly.

“For us in the military, we must be physically and mentally fit to perform our constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property as well as fight and defeat external enemies and overcome threats to territorial integrity,” he said.

He commended those who won laurels at the annual event and urged them to train hard to keep the record while also encouraging those who never won prizes to strive hard to win in the next edition.

The high point of the exercise was the presentation of prizes to winners at the event.

In the Officers Walk event (Male) Group Capt. A Idris, who finished the 10 Km walk in 1 hour, 12 min. won the first prize, Air Cdre. B.A Sani came second by touching the finish line in 1:18:20 seconds while AVM Idi Lubo with a finish record of 1:21:57 clutched third position.

Squadron Leader EE Danjuma, emerged the winner in the Officers Walk Female category by finishing the race in 1:22:21 seconds.

She was closely followed by Flt Lt AJ Enemanna with a finish record of 1:22:54 seconds while Air Craftswoman JC Onyezim clutched the third position.

CPL Awokoya got the first position prize in the Air Women Joggers category by finishing the race in 52′ 5 seconds, Air Craftswoman RN Nebo came second with a record of 58′ 18 seconds while JC Onyezim finished third place with a record of 1:40 seconds.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event, which was attended by communities within the Airforce vicinity, was characterized by fanfare. (NAN)

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