Defence
THE Defence Identification Centre (DIC) and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have commenced a five-day training on battlefield mortuary affairs in Kaduna.
The training being held at the Nigerian Air Force Base, Kaduna, is aimed at strengthening the capacity of personnel to identify military personnel killed in battle and manage human remains with dignity.
The Deputy Director, DIC, Air Commodore Chukwuma Ohanele, stated this in his opening remarks at the commencement of the programme on Monday, describing it as a landmark initiative resulting from collaboration between Defence Headquarters and the ICRC.
Ohanele said the programme would address challenges associated with the identification of military personnel and dignified management of the dead, noting that battlefield deaths had become inevitable due to the high tempo of operations by the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
According to him, managing the dead in modern conflicts was not only a technical responsibility but also a moral and humanitarian obligation.
He said the training was designed to strengthen professionalism, accountability and respect for human dignity.
He said participants would undergo theoretical and practical sessions on Nigerian mortuary affairs, the humanitarian role of the ICRC, international humanitarian law, Nigerian military doctrine, search and recovery operations, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal awareness.
The deputy director added that participants would also be trained on establishing mortuary collection points, conducting cursory examinations, and the respectful storage, transportation and repatriation of human remains, as well as temporary burials and cemetery creation.
He said the training would include indoor and outdoor exercises and assessment tests to ensure that participants could effectively apply the knowledge acquired in operational environments.
Ohanele commended the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, Defence Headquarters and the DIC for supporting the initiative, while also appreciating the Commandants of the Nigerian Air Force School of Medical Sciences and Aviation Medicine and Regiment Training School for providing logistics and administrative support.
He also expressed appreciation to the ICRC team, particularly Dr Habib El TaKach and Mr Stephen Fonseca, for their roles in developing the idea, curriculum and expertise that led to the establishment of the Battlefield Mortuary Affairs Programme in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Commandant, Nigerian Air Force School of Medical Sciences and Aviation Medicine, AVM Anthony Ekpe, said the training was coming at a critical time, given the complex military operations being conducted by the Armed Forces.
Ekpe said personnel were sometimes lost under difficult and gruesome circumstances, making it challenging to identify their remains or recover and identify their body parts, and urged participants drawn from the Army, Navy and Air Force to take the training seriously.
He thanked Defence Headquarters and the ICRC for choosing the institution to host the programme, saying the knowledge and skills acquired would help identify personnel lost during operations, provide answers to their families and enable loved ones to find closure.
In his remarks, Dr Habib El TaKach, Forensic Manager, ICRC Delegation, said the training was the outcome of a journey that began in Pretoria, South Africa, in 2024, describing it as the first global training programme of its kind.
TaKach said the process of identifying the dead began from the moment information about a casualty was received and involved planning, obtaining necessary clearances, recovery of remains and transportation to a morgue or cemetery,
He said that adding photographs, videos, samples and other relevant information collected at the scene were essential to identifying the deceased and providing closure to their families.(NAN)
A.I
July 27, 2026
Tags: Air Commodore Chukwuma Ohanele Explosive Ordnance Disposal awareness.