The Defence Headquarters, in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), has launched a specialised Battlefield Mortuary Affairs Programme to strengthen the identification, recovery and dignified management of soldiers killed during military operations.
The week long training, holding from July 27 to August 1 at the Nigerian Air Force Base, Kaduna, has brought together participants from the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Air Force.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Deputy Director of the Defence Identification Centre, Air Commodore Chukwuma Ohanele, described the programme as a landmark initiative aimed at addressing the growing challenges associated with battlefield deaths amid the increasing tempo of military operations across the country.
He said the training would equip participants with the knowledge and skills required to identify military personnel and manage the remains of the dead with dignity and professionalism.
Ohanele said the programme would address the technical, humanitarian and moral responsibilities associated with the management of the dead in conflict situations.
Participants are expected to undergo theoretical and practical sessions covering search and recovery operations, Explosive Ordnance Disposal awareness, the establishment of mortuary collection points, cursory examination of remains, respectful storage, transportation and repatriation of human remains, temporary burials and cemetery creation.
The training will also expose participants to the humanitarian role of the ICRC and the legal frameworks governing battlefield mortuary affairs, including international humanitarian law and Nigerian military doctrine.
According to the organisers, the programme includes indoor and outdoor exercises as well as assessment tests designed to ensure that participants can apply the knowledge acquired in operational situations.
The Commandant of the Nigerian Air Force School of Medical Sciences and Aviation Medicine, Air Vice Marshal Anthony Ekpe, described the training as timely, noting that troops were sometimes killed in circumstances that made the identification of bodies or body parts extremely difficult.
He said improved identification procedures would help provide closure to families of fallen military personnel and ensure that the deceased were laid to rest with dignity.
The ICRC Forensic Manager, Dr Habib El TaKach, said the programme was the outcome of engagements that began in Pretoria, South Africa, in 2024.
He described it as the first training of its kind, saying it would help improve the identification of soldiers killed in conflict, reduce the number of missing persons and provide families with answers about the fate of their loved ones.
He explained that the identification process involved proper planning, recovery of remains, transportation and detailed documentation, including photographs, videos and biological samples.
The programme is expected to strengthen the operational readiness of the Armed Forces of Nigeria while promoting internationally accepted standards in the identification, recovery and dignified handling of personnel killed during military operations.
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