The United Nations is considering supporting the establishment of specialised counter-Improvised Explosive Device units in Nigeria, as part of efforts to tackle the growing use of explosives by terrorist groups.
The move was disclosed on Wednesday during a Counter-IED workshop in Abuja organised by the National Counter Terrorism Centre in collaboration with the United Nations Mine Action Service and the British High Commission.
The Chief of Mine Action Programme at the United Nations Mine Action Service, Edwin Faigmane, said the initiative was aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s national capacity to mitigate threats posed by IEDs to civilians, security personnel and critical infrastructure.
Faigmane explained that the UN had already begun working with Nigerian authorities to develop counter-IED strategies and improve operational capabilities in line with international standards.
According to him, experts from the UN headquarters in New York, United States, and its mobile training team based in Entebbe, Uganda, had been deployed to share technical expertise and support the development of Nigeria’s counter-IED framework.
He noted that the programme began in 2024 with an operational assessment of explosive ordnance disposal and IED capabilities of the Nigeria Police Force.
Subsequent training programmes supported by the British and Japanese governments have also equipped security personnel with specialised skills in explosive hazard awareness, search operations and IED disposal.
“At the end of the eight-month training period, we now have 15 qualified IED and conventional munitions disposal officers and 25 search-qualified officers,” Faigmane said.
He added that with the arrival of additional equipment, the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps would be able to establish specialised search and IED disposal teams in 2026.
“What do we want to do in 2026? When equipment for search and CMD/IED teams arrives, the NPF and the NSDC, under the Nigerian government, will have the capacity to form two search teams and two IED disposal teams.
“We will need to review the SOPs, which will take place next week, and then provide mentoring once the teams become operational.
“My request here is that the NPF and NSCDC utilise these trained officers and deploy them,” he said.
Faigmane urged relevant security agencies to deploy the trained personnel and consider joint operations with the military to enhance operational effectiveness against terrorist groups deploying explosive devices.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Maj Gen Adamu Laka, said improvised explosive devices remained one of the most devastating threats faced by troops during counter-terrorism operations, particularly in the North-East and North-West.
He explained that insurgents had continually evolved their methods of deploying the devices over the years.
“From 2011 to 2017, I saw how the use of IEDs in the Northeast evolved. It moved from wire control and telephone control to pressure plates. Each time one method of activating an IED was addressed, the insurgents found new ways to improve how they detonated it,” Laka said.
He added that in some cases, insurgents began layering explosive devices, placing a second device on top of pressure plates so that it would detonate when security personnel attempted to remove the first.
“I can tell you that the effect is devastating. To this day, Nigeria is still facing this threat,” he said.
Laka noted that beyond casualties among security personnel, IED attacks had also disrupted farming activities, limited humanitarian access, displaced communities and weakened investor confidence in affected areas.
The First Secretary at the British High Commission, Annup Vyas, said the United Kingdom remained committed to supporting Nigeria in addressing the threat of improvised explosive devices through the UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership.
“The threat from improvised explosive devices is ongoing and deeply damaging to lives, communities and stability,” Vyas said.
He added that the workshop was designed to help Nigeria assess its current capabilities, identify gaps and develop a structured plan to strengthen national counter-IED efforts.
Similarly, the Corps Commander of the Nigerian Army Corps of Engineers, Maj Gen Shamsideen Shafaru, emphasised the need for stronger collaboration among security agencies to counter the threat.
“Improvised Explosive Devices remain one of the most potent and adaptive weapons employed by hostile elements across multiple operational theatres.
“Countering this threat requires a unified, intelligence-driven and capability-focused approach involving all relevant stakeholders,” he said.
Nigeria has faced a persistent threat from IEDs used by terrorist groups, particularly in the North-East and North-West, where insurgents have continued to adapt their tactics and make the devices more sophisticated and deadly.
By: Solomon Odeniyi
