The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division, Major General Ibikunle Ajose, has charged graduates of Exercise Shining Star and the Sniper Training Cadre Course to take their newly acquired skills to the battlefield, stressing that their mission is simple: “one bullet, one kill.”
Zig Diaries | Defence & Security
Date: Saturday, 4 October 2025
Time: 16:15 WAT
Location: 📍 Sokoto, Nigeria
The GOC, who also doubles as Commander Sector 2, Joint Task Force North West Operation FASAN YAMMA, gave the charge during the graduation of 147 soldiers who completed eight weeks of rigorous training at the Division’s Training School.
According to him, the Division’s culture is to “train hard to fight easy” and failure is not tolerated in ongoing operations against terrorists and bandits in Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, and Katsina States. He tasked the graduates to return to their units and share the new fighting techniques with their colleagues, urging them to neutralize threats with precision and professionalism.
General Ajose also warned against drug abuse, substance misuse, and unprofessional conduct, describing such behaviour as dangerous to operational readiness. “Fear is normal, but it must be conquered without hard drugs,” he said.
Earlier, Acting Division Training Officer, Lieutenant Colonel David Ezebuche, explained that the graduates were drawn from formations under the Division - 1 Brigade (Zamfara), 17 Brigade (Katsina), and 8 Division Garrison (Sokoto). He highlighted the demanding training which featured live-fire drills, field exercises, and endurance challenges to simulate real combat and sharpen teamwork, command, and control.
The graduation, preceded by a campfire night, featured field demonstrations, certificate presentations, and awards for excellence. Families, officers, and soldiers gathered for the ceremony, which ended with group photographs marking the soldiers’ transition into mission-ready warriors.
🏷️ Tags: Nigerian Army, Sokoto, Exercise Shining Star, 8 Division, Terrorism, Defence Training
#ZigDiariesDefence #Nigeria #Terrorism #Security #Military
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