Security agencies operating in the theatre of the war against Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East have called for aggressive mine risk education to end the incessant destruction of lives and property in the region.
The call was made yesterday at a conference to mark the International Mine Action and Awareness Day 2024, organised by UNMAS, a non-governmental organisation in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
While educating participants which include internally displaced persons (IDPs), the commandant, Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) of the Nigeria police, Sylvanus Ntul, gave six signs to avoid on roads, homes and farmlands in mines risks areas.
Accordibg to him, the signs include, the soil disturbance, colour change of the soil, discardables, depression of the soil, file of stones and nylon tied to a tree.
Ntul, who represented commissioner of Police, Borno command, displayed different types of IEDs and bombs for participants to identify and report wherever they saw them.
Also, the organiser of the event, Assayyid Yusuf, said the conference was necessary for people in the mines risk areas, especially the IDPs now returning to their ancestral homes.
The commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Borno State command, Musa Boyi, said it was lack of awareness that makes people come into contact with bombs and explosives.
Represented by an anti-bomb officer of the corps, Boyi explained that the corp has been educating people on the dangers of touching strange objects to reduce the incidences of IEDs explosions.
“Children would think it is a toy while adults will assume it’s a metal scrap, and incidentally people would pick it out of curiosity and cause damage,” he said.
The GOC of 7 Division, Brig-Gen AG Haruna, said the conference with a theme, “Protecting Lives, Building Peace” is a reminder of their function as military to safeguard the lives and property of citizens.
Haruna noted that the military would continue to prioritise the protection of the displaced population against the hidden dangers of mines and unexploded ordinances and IEDs.
The permanent secretary, Ministry for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RRR ), Engr Goni Lawan described the conference as timely, especially considering the government plan to relocate more IDPs to their ancestral homes.