NAF, Police EOD Team Strengthen Counter-IED Capabilities in Bauchi

By Zainab Uzomah|Abuja

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Regiment Training Centre Annex (RTCA), Bauchi, has partnered with the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Bauchi State Command, to enhance counter-improvised explosive device (IED) capabilities among special forces trainees.

The specialised training, conducted for participants of Special Forces Course 13/2026, focused on the identification and handling of IED threats in contemporary combat environments. The exercise was designed to improve situational awareness, force protection, and operational effectiveness of the trainees as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen national security operations.

Commandant of RTCA Bauchi, Squadron Leader Lawrence Akpan, said the training aligned with the centre’s mandate of producing resilient andcombat-ready special forces personnel capable of operating in volatile and complex operational theatres.

According to him, the programme was aimed at equipping personnel with the tactical knowledge required to detect, identify, and safely respond to explosive threats during military operations.

Akpan noted that the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, has continued to prioritise realistic training, operational adaptability, and mission-oriented capacity development to ensure NAF personnel remain effective in counterterrorism and other special operations.

During the practical sessions, the NPF EOD team exposed trainees to different forms of IEDs, threat indicators, and safety procedures relevant to combat situations. Participants were also taken through demonstrations on the detonation mechanisms of pressure plate IEDs andintroduced to the key components of explosive devices, including initiators, charges, power sources, switch mechanisms, and containers.

The exercise provided the trainees with practical operational insights into the construction and functioning of explosive devices commonly encountered in conflict zones.

The collaboration between the NAF and the police EOD unit further highlighted the growing importance of inter-agency cooperation in tackling insurgency, terrorism, and other asymmetric security threats across the country.