The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. -Gen. Tukur Buratai on Friday lauded the contributions of the Command Engineering Depot in Kaduna to the successes being recorded in the war against terrorism in the country.
The Army Chief expressed satisfaction with the level of progress made so far and enjoined officers, soldiers and civilian staff of the Depot to upscale the level of achievements recorded.
Buratai inspected five newly manufactured Mines Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs) and assessed the ongoing production of new ones.
He was conducted round the depot by the Commander, Maj.-Gen. Sunday Araoye and Director General, Defence Industries Corporation, Maj.-Gen. Victor Ezugwu.
The Army Chief also inspected the repairs of damaged and malfunctioned back loaded Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), troops carrying vehicles and other combat vehicles.
A test run of the new and repaired MRAPs, APCs, and troops’ carrying vehicles was undertaken to prove their worthiness for combat operations.
While briefing the Chief of Army Staff at the Depot’s Smart Factory, the Commandant said that a state of the art 3D printing machine for vehicles’ parts and medical implants has been installed.
“We have also manufactured a surveillance vehicle with drone attached to it to enhance NA’s operations,” Araoye added.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that after the tour of the facility, the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sagir Musa, said the depot had also manufactured 12.6mm anti aircraft guns and repaired backloaded ones.
“The depot has proven to be impactful and combat multipliers for the ongoing war against insurgency and anti banditry operations in the north east and north western parts of Nigeria.
“The initiative and efforts of the NA in this regard, has proven to be a force multiplier and very effective in the various theatres of Operations in the fight against terrorism in the north east and anti banditry operations in the north west”.
“The effort of the NA in this regard has so far saved Nigeria billions of Naira that would have been used for the procurement of these military hardware and equipment,” he said.
