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Battlefield Legend! The Nigerian Officer Who Turned His ‘Rambo’ Bravery Into Military Innovation”
A former Director General of the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) and the first Nigerian to design and produce a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle—named after him as the Ezugwu MRAP—Major General Victor Ezugwu (retd.) speaks with NAOMI CHIMA about his invention, his military career, and other personal experiences.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
Could you give us a brief background of yourself and how it shaped who you are today?
I hail from Ohebe in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State. My military journey began on September 27, 1985, when I joined the Nigerian Defence Academy as a cadet officer to study History. In 1990, I was commissioned into the Nigerian Army and deployed to the Infantry Corps. I served for 38 years before retiring two years ago.
I’m the third of eight children, born to Patrick and Esther Ezugu—both late. My father, a colonial-era mechanic, greatly influenced my life before his death in 1978 while I was still in secondary school. From him, I inherited discipline and a knack for technical work, which later helped in designing the Nigerian Army’s first locally produced armoured vehicle. My mother, a devout Catholic, raised me after his passing. Her faith shaped my spiritual life; today, I remain a devoted Catholic and was honoured with a papal knighthood by Pope Benedict XVI.
In 2016, I was appointed Commandant of Depot Nigerian Army, Zaria, by then Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.). Drawing from my frontline experience in Borno and Adamawa, I reformed recruit training, including programmes for tradesmen such as mechanics and drivers.
I once challenged a team of trainees to build five patrol vehicles from scratch. They stripped down a Volkswagen Golf and converted it into a prototype. Within six months, five functional vehicles were ready and displayed during the passing-out parade. Gen. Buratai was impressed and tasked me to pioneer a military vehicle production unit, which led me to Kaduna, where I worked with a brilliant young engineer, Shedrack Agbo. Together, we developed the Ezugwu MRAP. Later, with President Buhari’s approval, I moved to DICON to oversee its production. I share the credit with a dedicated team of young Nigerian engineers whom I mentored and led.
Have these vehicles been deployed in combat?
Yes. They’ve been used in operations in Maiduguri, Adamawa, Sokoto, and Enugu. Over 30 units were produced and deployed. One even made it back to my hometown, celebrated as “our own vehicle.” They’ve proven effective against insurgents.
What sets the MRAP apart?
It’s the first armoured vehicle built by Nigeria’s military since 1964, and President Buhari approved naming it after me. The MRAP is bulletproof, resistant to 7.62mm machine guns and AK-47 fire, and equipped to withstand mines and explosives. It can wade through water up to 20–30 metres deep, features armoured windshields, advanced communications spanning 10–16km, and surveillance cameras with a 2–5km range. Most importantly, it’s affordable—each unit costs about ₦250 million compared to ₦900 million to ₦1 billion for imported versions.
What were your biggest challenges?
Accessing armoured-grade steel was tough. We initially imported from China but later sourced limited supplies locally, as Nigeria currently doesn’t produce armoured steel—Ajaokuta Steel has been idle for years. We also imported truck chassis because local factories like ANAMCO, Leyland, and Steyr had shut down. COVID-19 compounded logistics and forex challenges, but all engineering work was done by Nigerians—our oldest engineer was just 32.
How long did the project take?
We began in 2018 and had a prototype within seven months. By 2019, President Buhari commissioned an improved version, and by 2021 we had a globally competitive MRAP. Achieving this in three to four years was remarkable compared to similar projects abroad, which take eight to twelve years.
Is production ongoing?
Sadly, since my exit from DICON, production has slowed. That reflects a broader issue—lack of continuity. I remain in touch with current military leadership and hope production resumes soon. Future versions should factor in climate adaptation, updated materials, and improved specs, as other advanced countries do.
From your long combat career, what lessons stand out?
I’ve seen much and remain grateful to God. Commissioned in 1990, I was deployed to Sierra Leone in 1991 and Liberia in 1992. My soldiers nicknamed me “Rambo.” I fought in Bakassi (1993) and Warri (1995) and led disarmament of 32 militant camps during the Niger Delta Amnesty Programme.
As a Brigadier General, I reclaimed seven local governments from Boko Haram in Adamawa within three months. Later, as General Officer Commanding in Maiduguri, I stabilised multiple regions. Through it all, I relied on faith—we prayed before battles, after victories, and every day. That commitment earned me a papal knighthood while still serving in Maiduguri.
What principles guided your leadership in the field?
To lead in war, be selfless and courageous. Soldiers won’t follow a coward. I always said, “Follow me,” and led from the front.
Be transformational—improve welfare, morale, and treat soldiers as your own. Leadership also demands personal sacrifice; many times, I used my resources to support my men. When soldiers know you care, they’ll go the extra mile. If they feel neglected, some might even turn against their commanders.
What’s your perspective on the Boko Haram war?
The insurgency is real and remains a huge challenge. It began in Maiduguri and spread rapidly. We couldn’t tackle it with traditional methods because it became politicised. Before democracy, we didn’t face insurgencies like this. Decisive action could have contained it early on, but political interference allowed it to grow. Now it’s splintered into multiple factions.
A tragic incident occurred in Ilara-Mokin community, Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Monday, when a woman identified as Oluwasola Adebayo reportedly collapsed and died while accompanying her daughter to a Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination centre.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
The incident happened during the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), leaving residents and witnesses in shock.
It was gathered that the woman had escorted her daughter to the exam venue when she suddenly began to feel unwell shortly after arriving.
An eyewitness, Abiola, said she showed signs of weakness before eventually collapsing at the centre.
According to him, efforts made by people around to revive her were unsuccessful, and she was confirmed dead at the scene.
Sources also revealed that she had earlier informed people of her plan to accompany her daughter to the examination centre. At the time of the incident, her daughter was already inside the examination hall writing the UTME and was unaware of what had happened outside.
The development drew sympathy from residents and passersby, many of whom expressed sorrow over the sudden loss.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, Jimoh Abayomi, said the command had been informed and responded appropriately.
He described the incident as unfortunate and expressed the command’s condolences to the family.
He further stated that the deceased’s family had been contacted, and her remains were released to a family member who identified himself as her son.
The police urged members of the public to remain calm, as the community continues to mourn the unexpected loss.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed its defence of its Chairman, Joash Amupitan, stating that a forensic investigation has established that social media posts attributed to him were fabricated.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
In a statement issued on Monday by his Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, the commission maintained that Amupitan does not own or operate any social media account, despite the circulation of alleged posts linked to him.
According to INEC, both internal checks and independent forensic analysis confirmed that the Chairman has no presence on X (formerly Twitter) or any other social media platform.
The statement explained that the findings of the investigation revealed multiple inconsistencies, including timestamp irregularities, which showed that a viral post attributed to Amupitan was published before the original message it was supposedly responding to—an occurrence described as technically impossible.
INEC also dismissed claims attempting to link the account to the Chairman through email addresses, phone numbers, or financial records, noting that verification processes on the platform failed to establish any connection.
The commission further clarified that the appearance of a phone number in records such as BVN or financial platforms does not serve as proof of ownership of any social media account.
It described the situation as a coordinated disinformation effort, revealing that several fake accounts across different platforms were created using the Chairman’s identity.
INEC added that the account at the centre of the controversy was later renamed, made private, and labelled as a parody account shortly after the issue gained public attention.
The commission stated that the findings have been forwarded to relevant security agencies for further investigation and urged members of the public to avoid sharing or engaging with the disputed content.
The current exchange rate between the US Dollar and the Nigerian Naira at the black market, commonly referred to as the parallel market (Aboki FX), has been outlined for April 20, 2026.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
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