Eleven Police Mobile Force squadron commanders from different formations across Nigeria have completed a month-long training programme in weapon handling, combat manoeuvres and professional leadership in Osun State.
The commanders completed the exercise at the Police Mobile Force Training College in Ila-Orangun, where they underwent intensive practical and classroom sessions designed to improve their operational readiness.
Speaking at the passing-out ceremony on Tuesday, the Commandant of the college, Anietie Eyoh, urged the officers to apply the skills acquired during the programme professionally and effectively at their various places of assignment.
Eyoh said the training covered combat and weapon handling, leadership development and several other areas considered essential to modern policing.
He said the programme was part of institutional reforms initiated by the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to improve the service delivery and operational capacity of the Nigeria Police Force.
According to him, the participants were trained in combat manoeuvres, weapon handling and tactics for operations in forest environments.
The curriculum also covered drill and discipline, leadership and team command, operational communication and reporting, clearance and stability patrols, contemporary operational challenges, law and human rights, conflict management and de-escalation.
The officers also received training in emergency response, first aid, casualty management, physical conditioning, endurance activities, jungle and forest survival principles and field exercises.
Eyoh said the objective was not simply to make the officers physically stronger but to develop disciplined personnel capable of making sound professional decisions and working effectively as teams.
Speaking on behalf of the 11 commanders, Kayode Ajayi said the training had improved their understanding of the demands and responsibilities associated with service in the Police Mobile Force.
Ajayi said the exercise tested the participants physically, mentally and professionally while reinforcing discipline, perseverance, teamwork, leadership and commitment to duty.
He added that although the commanders arrived from different police formations with varying experiences, they were leaving with a stronger understanding of the professional expectations attached to their roles.
The Oragun of Oke-Ila, Oba Adedokun Abolarin, described the training as important to the advancement of policing and security in Nigeria.
The exercise comes as the police leadership intensifies efforts to improve the readiness of the Mobile Police Force amid Nigeria’s security challenges.
Inspector-General Disu had earlier expressed confidence in the ability of the PMF to contribute significantly to efforts against insurgency and banditry.
The IGP said the success of the Federal Government’s security drive would depend largely on the operational readiness of the Mobile Police Force.
He also disclosed that the PMF had been expanded to 84 squadrons nationwide to strengthen its response to terrorism, banditry, armed criminality, communal violence and attacks on critical infrastructure.
Disu has also emphasised the importance of combining tactical capability with discipline and respect for human rights.
The latest training programme is therefore part of a broader effort to strengthen the skills, leadership and operational preparedness of Mobile Police commanders as they return to their respective formations.
