Meet Major General Victor Okwudili Ezugwu, the first Nigerian to develop military vehicle capable of resisting laπdmines.
Major Ezugwu, a native of Ohebe Nsukka town in Igbo-etiti Local Government Area of Enugu state pioneered Nigeria’s first indigenous MRAP vehicle, driven by patriotism and ẞattlefield experience.
In his remarks, Ezugwu said;
“I challenged our tradesmen to build five patrol vehicles from scratch. We stripped down an old Volkswagen Golf and rebuilt it. Within six months, five vehicles were ready.” — a reason he was nicknamed “Rambo”.
The military MRAP vehicle which was later named after him(EZUGWU) features armoured windshields, surveillance cameras, long-range communications, and has the capacity to transport 16 troops. It is said to be resistant to AK-47 and 7.62mm machine gμnfire.
According to Major Ezugwu, the MRAPs were not only efficient but also cheaper than imported alternatives. “One unit costs N250 million, while foreign versions go for between N900 million and N1 billion.”
