Army inaugurates 4 locally-made mine resistant vehicles

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin on Thursday inaugurated four locally manufactured Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles for the Nigerian Army.

This is to aid the war against insurgency in the Northeast and Northwest zones of the country.

The vehicles which were manufactured by Proforce, a specialist in the manufacturing of Amoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), Mine Resistant and Ambush Protected vehicles, was in collaboration with the Nigerian army.

Inaugurating the vehicles, Olonisakin commended the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, for his foresight and commitment to the fight against insurgency and other forms of insecurity in the country.

He said the armed forces must continue to develop capacity to confront the security situations in the country.

Also speaking, Buratai disclosed that the vehicles were produced in partnership with Nigerian army, adding that Proforce had given one of such for trial which was eventually bought in 2017.

According to him, eight were subsequently ordered, with the first two being delivered in 2018 and inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari in Monguno, Borno State.

The Managing Director of Proforce, Mr Ade Ohundeyin, said that every single thing in the vehicle was designed and manufactured in Nigeria.

Ohundeyin disclosed that the vehicle could run for 50 kilometres with flat or punctured tyres.

“It also has in the system to always reflate the tyre even when punctured,” he said. (NAN)