The Nigerian Army has urged its officers and personnel to remain ahead of criminal elements and other security threats through continuous training and operational preparedness.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Ibadan, Maj. Gen. Auwalu Mahmuda, gave the charge on Friday at the closing ceremony of the 2026 Inter-Brigade Combat Proficiency Competition held at the 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure, Ondo State.
Represented by Brig. Gen. Muhammed Momoh, the GOC said the competition was organised to sharpen the combat skills, leadership capacity and operational readiness of troops in response to emerging security challenges across the country.
“As the Nigerian Army remains a key stakeholder in tackling the mild security challenges facing our dear country, personnel must train continuously in order to remain ahead of adversaries at all times.
“As it is often said, we sweat more in peacetime through training and bleed less in war.
“So, the essence of this competition is to test our readiness and ensure that our officers and men are always prepared to confront any adversary,” he said.
Mahmuda commended the participating formations for demonstrating resilience, professionalism, sportsmanship and commitment throughout the exercise, describing the competition as an important platform for strengthening military effectiveness.
According to him, the combat proficiency competition is designed to improve leadership skills, organisational ability, esprit de corps, endurance, cooperation and initiative among young officers.
The GOC also called for sustained cooperation and collaboration from critical stakeholders, while appreciating Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and heads of security agencies for their support.
“The five formations which participated in the competition were: 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure; 42 Division Engineers, Ibadan; 12 Brigade, Lokoja; 2 Division Garrison, Ibadan; and 4 Brigade, Benin.
“Participants representing their formations displayed individual determination and strong team spirit in activities such as tug of war, swimming, weapon handling, shooting, endurance run and obstacle crossing,” he said.
Mahmuda later presented trophies, certificates and cash prizes to the top-performing brigades and urged all units to sustain the training tempo to further enhance the operational readiness of the division.
At the end of the competition, the 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure emerged overall winner, while the 4 Brigade, Benin, finished second and the 12 Brigade, Lokoja, placed third. The 42 Engineer Brigade, Ibadan, and the 2 Division Garrison, Ibadan, came fourth and fifth respectively.