The 8 Division Garrison has emerged as the overall winner of the 2026 8 Division Inter-Brigade Combat Proficiency Competition held at Giginya Military Cantonment in Sokoto.
The multi-day exercise ended with 1 Brigade securing second place and 17 Brigade finishing as runners-up in a series of rigorous tactical challenges designed to test leadership capacity and combat effectiveness.
Focus on Operational Preparedness
The competition brought together junior commanders from formations across the division to test their physical endurance, technical expertise, and tactical decision-making under high pressure:
- Drills and Tactical Tests: Participants competed across several military disciplines, including a 10-kilometer combat run, a 4×400-meter combat relay, weapon handling, map reading, and obstacle course navigation.
- Emphasis on Realistic Training: Major General Bemgba Paul Koughna, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 8 Division and Commander of Sector 2 Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, commended the units for their discipline and competitive spirit.
- Call to Duty: Addressing the officers at the closing ceremony, General Koughna reminded junior commanders that soldiers remain the primary weapon of warfare and urged them to carry the lessons learned back to their frontline units.
The drill forms part of ongoing efforts by the Nigerian Army to sharpen command skills and maintain peak operational readiness among frontline officers deployed in counter-insurgency and internal security missions across the North-West region.
As security challenges across the country continue to evolve, the Army is banking on these realistic field simulations to ensure its tactical leaders are physically, mentally, and operationally prepared to lead troops into battle and win.
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