*As 12 Brigade, Lokoja came second with 390 points
From Taiye Joseph
The Nigerian Army’s 4 Brigade, Benin, has emerged overall winner of the 2025 2 Division Inter-Brigade Combat Proficiency Competition.
The brigade outperformed five other formations in a week-long contest that tested courage, resilience, and teamwork. The event, held at the Nigerian Army Cantonment, Ekehuan, brought together junior officers from formations under 2 Division in a display of skill, strength, and endurance.
The competing brigades were: 32 Brigade, Akure; 12 Brigade, Lokoja; 22 Brigade, Ilorin; 42 Engineering Brigade, Ibadan; and 2 Division Garrison/81 Battalion.
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Participants were tested in obstacle crossing, weapon handling and shooting, swimming, endurance run, and tug of war, all designed to assess combat readiness.
At the grand finale, 4 Brigade secured victory with 440 points and won six trophies. 12 Brigade, Lokoja, came second with 390 points, while 2 Division Garrison/81 Battalion finished third with 380 points. 32 Brigade, Akure, placed fourth with 370 points, 22 Brigade, Ilorin, came fifth with 350 points, while 42 Engineering Brigade/52 Signal Battalion/ECC finished sixth with 282 points.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division, Maj.-Gen. Chinedu Nnebeife, said the competition was not merely about winning trophies but about grooming leaders for the battlefield.
Represented by Brig.-Gen. Justin Ifeanyi, Commander of 32 Brigade, Nnebeife stressed that regular training was vital to staying ahead of adversaries in the face of growing security challenges.
“The competition is designed to improve the leadership qualities of junior commanders,” he said. “It is also aimed at challenging their initiative and preparing them for higher responsibilities by enhancing combat proficiency through physical skills and endurance. As the saying goes, we sweat more in peacetime through training and bleed less in war.”
He noted that similar contests had earlier been conducted for corporals and below, as well as for senior non-commissioned officers, to strengthen leadership skills across all ranks.
Maj.-Gen. Nnebeife commended the resilience and discipline displayed by participants, adding that the competition promoted esprit de corps, endurance, organisational ability, and cooperation—qualities critical to operational success.
“These attributes are prerequisites for battlefield victories and are in line with the Chief of Army Staff’s command philosophy,” he said.
He further charged the officers to apply the lessons learned beyond the training ground for greater effectiveness in real operations.
The closing ceremony was attended by dignitaries from other security agencies, including the Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, and representatives of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Correctional Service, and the Federal Road Safety Commission.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of awards to outstanding officers, amid cheers from colleagues and invited guests.
