NEDC, Makesafe train communities on dangers of unexploded ordinance Ordinance
The North East Development Commission (NEDC) with Makesafe Humanitarian Safety Services organised a training to create awareness on the risks associated with unexploded ordinances in post-conflict communities across Yobe.
The Chief Executive Officer of Makesafe Humanitarian Safety Services, Group Capt. Sadiq Shehu (rtd), disclosed this while addressing participants at the inauguration of the training in Damaturu on Tuesday.
He said the initiative, tagged “Mindfulness Awareness and Explosive Ordnance Risk Education”, was designed to sensitise residents in areas affected by insurgency, about the lingering dangers posed by explosives left behind after conflicts.
“From our experience, even after conflict ends, explosives used by either our own forces or insurgents like Boko Haram may not detonate and could remain hidden in farms, villages, or even children’s playgrounds,” Shehu said.
He cited a recent incident in Gujba Local Government Area, where a child was injured following an explosion involving an unidentified object believed to be an unexploded ordnance.
Shehu said the importance of educating local populations, particularly children, on how to recognise and avoid such objects cannot be overemphasised.
“Children might see these objects as toys or scrap metal seekers might pick them up, not knowing the danger involved and before you know it, a hand or a leg is gone,” he said.
According to him, the training does not aim to turn participants into explosive experts, but to equip them with basic safety knowledge such as recognising suspicious items, adopting appropriate behaviour, and reporting potential threats to authorities.
He noted that participants were drawn from local government areas with known histories of landmine and explosive contamination.
“We also give them leaflets in local languages to help pass the message in their communities,” he said.
Brig.-Gen. Dahiru Abdussalam (rtd), Special Adviser to Gov. Mai Mala Buni on Security Matters, urged participants to share the knowledge gained to their communities.
“For the past 15 years, the North-east has been affected by insurgency.
“These explosive remnants pose a serious danger to lives and property,” Abdussalam said.
One of the participants, Mr Adamau Dodo, commended the organisers, saying the training was timely.
“This training is crucial for our communities. We have lost many lives and limbs to these threats. It came at the right time to reduce the risks,” he said.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training forms part of broader efforts by the NEDC and its partners to rehabilitate and secure communities affected by years of insurgency in the region.
NAN
