The Chief of Defence Administration, Rear Adm. Gideon Kachim, has stressed the need for dignified handling of the dead in battlefield situations to boost troop morale and sustain public trust.

Kachim made the call on Saturday in Kaduna at the closing ceremony of the Battlefield Mortuary Affairs Programme Training held at the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base, Kaduna. Represented by the Deputy Director, Defence Identification Centre, Air Commodore Chukwuma Ohanele.

He said the training was crucial to military professionalism, humanitarian responsibility and respect for human dignity.

He said the programme equipped participants with knowledge and practical skills in the search, recovery, identification, documentation and dignified handling of the dead in battlefield situations.

He added that compassion, respect and accountability must guide personnel involved in mortuary affairs, particularly in challenging operational environments.

Kachim said the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, approved the training because of its alignment with his strategic vision of building a people-centred, ethically grounded and professionally accountable military.

He said it also aligned with the CDS's strategic objective on troop welfare, stressing that the welfare of military personnel must be prioritised both in life and in death.

He noted that prompt search, rescue, evacuation and treatment of wounded soldiers boosted troop morale and served as force enablers. Similarly, he said effective search, recovery, identification and dignified management of fallen personnel could boost troop morale, provide closure for families and enhance public trust.

“Consequently, effective application of what you have learned in this training would help boost troop morale, improve welfare of personnel and families, as well as promote the image of your Services,” he said.

The Chief of Defence Administration commended the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for facilitating the training and strengthening the capacity of military personnel in personnel identification and dignified management of the dead.

He described the ICRC's partnership in advancing humanitarian standards within armed forces globally as invaluable.

Kachim urged the participants to apply the knowledge acquired during the training in their respective units and share the lessons with their colleagues, reminding them that preserving the dignity of the dead was also a way of honouring the living and strengthening the moral fabric of the armed forces.

He also commended the NAF for providing the facilities and venues that enabled the successful conduct of the training, particularly the commandants, officers and personnel of the NAF School of Medical Sciences and Aviation Medicine and the Regiment Training School.

Also speaking, Ohanele, who coordinated the programme, commended the NAF and the ICRC for supporting the successful conduct of the training.

He said the facilities provided by the NAF enabled participants to undergo both indoor and outdoor practical sessions, exposing them to laboratory work, physical exercises, handling of weights and other field-based activities.

Ohanele congratulated the participants on successfully completing the training, describing it as unique because of its strong emphasis on practical learning.

He urged them to apply the knowledge and skills acquired to improve professional practices in battlefield mortuary affairs and related areas.

In his remarks, Mr Stephen Fonseca, Manager, ICRC African Centre for Medicolegal Systems, expressed gratitude to the NAF for the opportunity to conduct the training, particularly its focus on ensuring that deceased persons were treated with dignity.

Fonseca commended the participants for their diligence, resilience and commitment throughout the six-day programme, describing them as “absolutely fantastic.”

He also appreciated the NAF leadership, the base, medical training facility and all personnel who worked behind the scenes to provide logistics, equipment and other support for the success of the training.

He said the programme, which had been two years in the making, had finally been successfully delivered through the partnership between the NAF and ICRC.

Fonseca expressed confidence that the participants were now well trained and equipped to serve as guides to commanders and ambassadors for the missing and the dead, as well as those involved in recovering and caring for them.