Nigerian police, UNMAS conclude seven-month counter-IED training
The Nigeria Police Force and United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) have completed a seven-month programme training personnel on counter-IED operations in the north-east of the country.
The Borno State Police Command said the seven-month training began on 28 July, 2025, and ended on 27 February, 2026 at the Maiduguri police headquarters. 15 police officers successfully completed the IED disposal course by the end of the programme.
According to Nigeria's The Guardian online newspaper, the command’s spokesperson, assistant superintendent of police Nahum Daso, said that the counter-IED training was coordinated by the Nigeria Police Force EOD-CBRN Command in partnership with UNMAS as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen counter-IED and explosive hazard response capacity in the north-east.
The trainees were carefully selected from the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps across various states in the region, said assistant superintendent Daso.
"He added that the intensive theoretical and practical training covered explosive hazard awareness, conventional munitions disposal levels 1, 2 and 3, use of individual first aid kits and in-situ IED disposal aimed at saving lives and property," reported The Guardian.
Identification, detection, location and mitigation of hazards
Daso explained that the training comprised both theoretical and intensive practical sessions on international mine action standards procedures, with emphasis on the identification, detection, location and mitigation of hazards, as well as the safe disposal of explosive remnants of war and IEDs.
During the graduation ceremony, participants showcased knowledge and skills acquired by conducting practical demonstrations, including IED disposal procedures, sand-modelling exercises and the use of the F-3 MineLab detector.
"The Nigeria Police Force reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening inter-agency collaboration and international partnerships in addressing explosive threats and enhancing public safety across the country," it was reported.
