We expect up to 25% of trainees to die during recruitment — Ex-Defence spokesman Gen. Agim

Former spokesman of the Defence Headquarters, Gen. John Agim Agim (rtd) has revealed that they expect 15-25% of successful applicants in each recruitment to die during training. 

Gen. Agim stated that the expectation of death in training is why applicants sign a bond of being responsible for their decision when filling a form for the Nigerian Defence Academy. 

“The military training we get already takes care of whatever situation we find ourselves. .

In training, we are taught how to survive in whichever situation we find ourselves. Even if we are captured by the enemy, we know how to survive so we don’t die as a prisoner of war. .

So by the time we go for the real operations, to us it usually looks like a rehearsal because we have already seen the worst during trainings.

I urge Nollywood film makers to try and see ways of how they can produce a few of our drills so that the public can know some of the things that we go through. .

I can assure you that we have a robust training that when you come out of it alive, you know that it is not you but God. You can go for several days without food. .

And for each of our recruitments, there is a percentage expected to die during training. And that could be as much as between 15 and 25%. .

That alone shows you that it is no play zone or a boys scout lifestyle. That is why when filling a form to the Nigerian Defence Academy, you sign a bond that you are responsible for your decision” he told The Nation.