By Tunde Adetunji, Abuja
The Nigerian Army yesterday inaugurated locally fabricated Infantry Patrol Vehicles (IPV) that would enhance troops operations across the country.
The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali who inaugurated the vehicles and also performed the ground breaking ceremony for a new army cantonment known as Muhammadu Buhari Cantonment at Giri, on Airport, Abuja.
The Chief of Army of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai explained that the vehicles were locally designed and fabricated by personnel of the Nigerian army after extensive research.
Buratai said that the platform would further serve as force motivation as efforts were being stepped up to clear remnants of Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East, noting that the vehicles had been already been deployed to the region.
According to him, the vehicles are one of the platforms used for fire power demonstration during the 2017 Nigerian Army Small Arms Championship (NASAC) earlier held at the Sambisa forest in Borno.
He further explained that the vehicles could be used for long range battles as they could be mounted with General Purpose Machine Gun – GPMG and other caliber of weapon.
Buratai said: “The inauguration of the patrol vehicles is part of the overall strategy toward the establishment of a military industrial complex which is expected to be a major employer of labour when it takes off.’’
Earlier, the minister said that the process of transforming the army, anchored on the three pillars of capacity building, reorganization, and troops welfare which began two years ago, had not been easy.
Dan-Ali said that the construction of the cantonment at Giri would provide a conducive working and living accommodation for officers and soldiers in the FCT.
