By SUMAILA OGBAJE

The Nigerian Government is stepping up efforts to curb the menace of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), which has remained the deadliest threat to troops and civilians in the North East.

The National Coordinator, National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Maj.-Gen. Adamu Laka, disclosed this at the specialised training for first responders and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel on Tuesday in Abuja.

The training organised by NCTC in preparation for the multi-agency Crisis Response Exercise is code-named Exercise Rapid Response 2.

Laka said the training was aimed at building the capacity of bomb technicians, security agencies and emergency responders to detect, defuse and respond swiftly to IED threats across the country.

He described IEDs as the “weapon of choice” for terrorist groups, noting that many troops had been maimed or killed by such attacks in the Northeast.

“What we are doing here today is bringing together first responders to train them on how to respond to various IED threats.

“At the NCTC, part of our mandate is to ensure that materials used for producing IEDs are properly controlled,” he said.

The NCTC boss explained that the insurgents had shifted tactics, exploiting materials easily sourced in the open market as well as unexploded ordnance.

“Anything that has to do with ammonium in particular is a concern. That is why the movement of urea fertiliser to the North East is restricted, because ammonium can be extracted from it and used to produce explosives.

“What the insurgents are now doing is to improvise unexploded ordnance, using pressure plates, batteries and even mobile phones as detonators.

“That is why we continue to regulate the movement of such materials while training responders on how to detect and neutralise them,” he added.

Laka also underscored the role of technology in amplifying Nigeria’s counter-IED capacity, stressing that constant innovation was needed to stay ahead of evolving terrorist tactics.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the C-IED training is part of Exercise Rapid Response 2.

It is a crisis simulation exercise under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), designed to strengthen Nigeria’s crisis management framework and inter-agency cooperation. (NAN)