"We Won't Tolerate Cowardice among us, better brass up" - Buratai Warns personnel

Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff, gave the warning in an address to over 3,500 2018 77 Regular Recruits at the Falgore forest in Doguwa Local Government Area (LGA) of Kano State.

The recruits participated in “Exercise Kun Gama’’ – a final exercise which is part of requirements for them to graduate as soldiers, after six months training.

Represented by the Chief of Training and Operations, Maj.-Gen. Lamidi Adeosun, Buratai said since they chose to enlist in the army voluntarily, they should be ready for deployment in operations at any time.

“You are to note, therefore, that soldiering is synonymous with battles and war fighting.

“This implies that you could at any time be exposed to battle field situations.

“This is almost certain, considering the contemporary security challenges in our country which necessitated troops deployment in the fight against insurgency in the North East and other parts of our country,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highlight of the exercise `Kun Gama’ was the participation of the prospective soldiers in “Battle Inoculation’’- a mock war.

Buratai explained that experience in the field necessitated the exercise which he said was designed to expose the regular intakes to war tactics, including attack, withdrawal and maneuver.

He said that the initial exposure was intended to kill fear of battle in them before they face the reality in battle situations.

The intakes had the privilege of handling, firing and being exposed to all calibre of weaponry and sounds, including riffle, artillery, rocket and mortar.

Before now, battle inoculation used to be an exercise restricted to cadet due to pass out from the Nigerian Defence Academy.

The Falgore forest was before 2017 a safe haven for armed bandits, cattle rustlers, kidnappers and other criminal elements.

But the Nigerian army dislodged them from the forest and turned it to one of its training grounds.

It used be to a game reserve and covers an area of about 1000 square kilometers. It also covers three LGAs in Kano State, Tudun Wada, Doguwa and Sumaila.

It stretches to Birnin Gwari in Kaduna States, Yankari Games reserve in Bauchi State, Sambisa forest in Borno and extends to the Central Africa Republic. (NAN)