Rambo of the Battlefield: Maj. Gen. Ezugwu on MRAP and Military Life
Major General Victor Ezugwu (retd.), the first Nigerian to produce the Ezugwu Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, shared insights into his military career and invention in a recent interview. Born in Ohebe, Igbo-Etiti, Enugu State, Ezugwu joined the Nigerian Defence Academy in 1985, studying History, and was commissioned into the Infantry Corps in 1990. His 38-year career ended with retirement in 2023. Influenced by his father, a colonial-era mechanic, and his devout Catholic mother, Ezugwu attributes his technical skills and faith to them, earning a papal knighthood from Pope Benedict XVI.
Ezugwu, nicknamed “Rambo” for his bravery in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Bakassi, and the Niger Delta, led the development of the Ezugwu MRAP, Nigeria’s first indigenously produced armored vehicle since 1964. Appointed Commandant of Depot Nigerian Army in 2016, he challenged tradesmen to build patrol vehicles, leading to the MRAP’s creation with engineer Shedrack Agbo at the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON).
Over 30 units were deployed in Maiduguri, Adamawa, Sokoto, and Enugu, proving effective against insurgents. The MRAP, costing N250m per unit versus N900m–N1bn for foreign equivalents, is bulletproof, mine-resistant, and equipped with advanced communication and surveillance systems.
Despite challenges like importing armored steel and chassis due to dormant local industries, the project, started in 2018, produced a globally competitive MRAP by 2021. Ezugwu expressed concern over slowed production since leaving DICON, urging continuity.
He advocated for climate-resilient upgrades and a tech-driven approach to end Boko Haram, citing political interference as a challenge. His leadership principles – selflessness, courage, and resource management – earned soldiers’ trust, while his family’s support, especially his wife’s, sustained him through decades of combat. Ezugwu hopes to be remembered as a dedicated general and community contributor, having built infrastructure in his village.
On governance, he criticized politicians for politicizing conflicts and urged electoral integrity, advising Nigerians to act alongside prayer. Now retired, Ezugwu enjoys golf, mentoring, and family life, with his wife and three children, while considering a political future.
