The Nigerian government will involve youths, retired soldiers, and civilians in demining operations to reduce IED threats, promote skills transfer, and ensure sustainable clearance
The Federal Government has unveiled plans to expand Nigeria’s demining strategy by involving youths, retired soldiers, and civilians in operations to counter improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and anti-personnel mines.
The initiative was announced on Tuesday, March 24, in Abuja by the Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, during the National Mine Action Stakeholders Workshop.
Represented by the Ministry of Defence Permanent Secretary, Richard Pheelangwah, Musa explained that civilian demining teams will include retired combat engineers, security veterans, medical personnel, and trained youths.
The teams are expected to work closely with communities exposed to explosive hazards.
“The proposed structure allows experienced military professionals to transfer critical skills to younger trainees while strengthening community confidence in clearance efforts,” Musa said.
The National Mine Action Centre (NMAC) will coordinate operations, working with trained officers from the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Force, alongside support from international partners.
Musa highlighted the humanitarian and security risks posed by hidden explosives, especially in North-East Nigeria, where contaminated farmland has forced many families to abandon productive land.
He said pairing retired combat engineers with youths will preserve technical expertise and ensure long-term sustainability of mine action nationwide.
International partners, including the United Nations Mine Action Service, reaffirmed support for Nigeria’s expanded model, which seeks to strengthen mine clearance, risk education, and victim assistance across the country.
Fresh concerns have emerged over compliance with a court order issued by the High Court of Kano State on April 8, 2026, restraining key parties—including the Honourable Minister of Education, the Kano State Ministry of Land and Physical Planning, the Kano State Urban Development Authority, and Pluck Global Company Limited—from further actions pending the determination of the matter before the court.
Findings indicate that while all parties—except the concessionaire, Pluck Global Company Limited—were duly served within two days of the order, significant challenges were encountered in effecting service on the company, raising troubling questions about its corporate traceability and regulatory vetting.
A review of the company’s records filed with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) revealed addresses that could not be verified as functional business locations. Notably, documentation submitted to Federal Government College (FGC), Kano, dated June 20, 2024, listed two addresses: 8B, Lalupon Street, off Keffi Street, off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, as its head office, and 3 Bargery Road, Bompai, Kano, as its branch office.
However, a physical visit to the Ikoyi address revealed that the entire property is occupied by a company identified as Golden Alchemy, whose staff категорically denied any knowledge of, or shared occupancy with, Pluck Global Company Limited.
Efforts to trace the Kano address yielded even more unsettling findings. The location—a locked duplex—showed no visible signs of commercial activity. Neighbours, while reluctant to speak on record, alluded to irregular movements at odd hours, casting further doubt on the legitimacy of the premises as a corporate office.
In a twist, after multiple attempts to establish contact, an individual purportedly representing the company surfaced in Kano and agreed to receive and acknowledge the court order on April 11, 2026, at approximately 6:00 pm. Curiously, the Ikoyi address—already discredited—was again listed as the company’s official address in the acknowledgment.
These developments raise critical questions regarding due diligence and Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols on the part of the Federal Ministry of Education. They also cast a spotlight on the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), should a concession agreement indeed have been executed with the company. Stakeholders say it would be instructive to review the addresses contained in all official correspondences and contractual documents linked to the transaction.
Meanwhile, a visit to the premises of Federal Government College, Kano, revealed ongoing construction activity, with workers observed excavating foundations. When approached, the workers declined to disclose the authority under which they were operating—despite the subsistence of a court order restraining further action.
Notably, a previously installed project billboard bearing the insignia of the school authorities and the Federal Ministry of Education had been removed. Sources within the institution suggest that the directive for its removal may have emanated from the Ministry following receipt of the court order.
The unfolding situation presents a complex mix of legal, regulatory, and accountability issues—raising the spectre of possible non-compliance with judicial directives, as well as deeper concerns about transparency in public-private concession arrangements.
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