The Nigerian Army has announced that the 301 Artillery Regiment (General Support), Gombe State, will conduct its second schedule of the 2025 Range Classification Exercise from Thursday to Friday, at the regiment’s Small Arms Range in Liji area of the state.

The exercise, which is a biannual routine across formations of the Nigerian Army, is aimed at sharpening the professional skills of soldiers and assessing their combat readiness.

Speaking on the exercise, on Monday, the acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations for the regiment, Lieutenant Kingsley Ugwuoke, said the training was a vital component of the army’s operational preparedness.

“The Range Classification Exercise is designed to refresh the skills of our soldiers in weapon handling, thereby enhancing their proficiency in order to achieve better results during operations It also helps us ascertain the level of troops’ training and preparedness for battle and other assigned duties, ” ” Ugwuoke stated.

He assured residents of Liji and surrounding communities that there was no cause for alarm during the two-day exercise.

“We want to appeal to members of the public not to panic when they hear gunshots during this period,” he said. “Farmers, hunters, and other residents within the range area are strongly advised to stay away from the designated shooting zone throughout the exercise for their safety.”

The regiment further urged the media and community leaders to help disseminate the information widely in order to ensure compliance and safeguard lives.

Ugwuoke added, “The Nigerian Army remains committed to maintaining high standards of professionalism and operational effectiveness while ensuring the safety of civilians during training activities.” (The PUNCH)