A SEAL's weapon of choice is the Heckler and Koch MP-5 submachine gun.

A shark can detect one part of blood in 100 million parts of water.

A shark can grow a new set of teeth in a week.

A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.

A shrimp's heart is in its head.

A single drop of water contains one hundred billion billion atoms.

A single share of Coca-Cola stock, purchased in 1919, when the company went public, would have been worth $92,500 in 1997.

A snail can actually glide over the sharp edge of a knife or razor without harming itself. This has something to do with the mucus it produces.

A snail can have about 25,000 teeth.

A snail can sleep for 3 years.

A snail can travel over a razor blade without cutting itself.

A sneeze can exceed the speed of 100 mph.

A soccer ball has 32 panels.

A speleologist studies caves.

A Sphygmomanometer measures blood pressure.

A spremologer collects trivia.

A starfish can turn its stomach inside out.

A state law in Illinois mandates that all bachelors should be called master, not mister, when addressed by their female counterparts.

A strand of spider web may be stronger than an equal diameter of steel.

A study of pet owners found that 66% claimed they allowed their pets to remain in the bedroom during intercourse.

A teaspoon of neutron star material weighs about 110 million tons.

A ton of potatoes will yield 28.6 gallons of absolute alcohol. Potatoes are an important source for commercial alcohol.

A total of 63 errors were made in the 1886 World Series.

A traditional dish from Savolax, called "kalakukko" (fishcock in engl.) is made of white fish and porkfat encased in a baked crust of rye.

A two-inch garden hose will carry four times as much water as a one-inch hose.

A type of rabbit can mate 12 hours after giving birth

A typical American eats 28 pigs in his/her lifetime.

A typical bed usually houses over 6 billion dust mites.

A typical lightning bolt is two to four inches wide and two miles long.

A vexillologist is an expert in the history of flags

A volcano can shoot its debris as high as 50km into the sky.

A vulture will never attack a human or animal that is moving.

A whale's penis is called a dork.

A whip makes a cracking sound because its tip moves faster than the speed of sound.

A whole library floor of books can be stored on 50 Gigabytes.

A wind with a speed of 74 miles or more is designated a hurricane.

A women's heart beats faster than men.

A woodchuck only breathes 10 times during hibernation.

A woodpecker can peck twenty times a second.

A word or sentence that is the same front and back (racecar, kayak) is called a "palindrome".

A young lady named Ellen Church convinced Boeing Air Transport that her nursing skills and love of flying would qualify her to assist with the passengers and emergencies. She became the first known stewardess.

A zebra is white with black stripes.

ABBA GOLD has been in the UK charts for over 280 weeks, thats over 5 years

Abdul Kassam Ismael, Grand Vizier of Persia in the tenth century, carried his library with him wherever he went. Four hundred camels carried the 117,000 volumes.

Abe Lincoln's mother died when the family dairy cow ate poisonous mushrooms and Ms. Lincoln drank the milk.

About 10% of the world's population is left-handed.

About 10,000,000 people have the same birthday as you.

About 100 people choke to death on ballpoint pens each year.

About 20% of bird species have become extinct in the past 200 years, almost all of them because of human activity.

About 200,000,000 M&Ms are sold each day in the United States.

About 24% of the total ground area of Los Angeles is said to be committed to automobiles.

About 55% of all movies are rated R. About 500 movies are made in the US and 800 in India annually.

About 70% of Americans who go to college do it just to make more money.

About 75% of the people in the U.S. live on 2% land.

About 80% of the city was burned in the Great Fire of London in 1666.

About a third of all Americans flush the toilet while they're still sitting on it.

About one-tenth of the earth's surface is permanently covered with ice.

Abraham Lincoln had to go across the street to the War Department to get news from the battlefield because there was no telegraph in the White House.

Abraham Lincoln's ghost is said to haunt the White House.

Absinthe is another name for the herb wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) and the name of a licorice-anise flavored green liqueur that was created at the end of the 18th century, and manufactured by Henry-Louis Pernod. Called the 'green Muse' it became very popular in the 19th century, but was eventually banned in most countries beginning in 1908. The reason is the presence of the toxic oil 'thujone' in wormwood, which was one of the main ingredients of Absinthe. Absinthe seemed to cause brain lesions, convulsions, hallucinations and severe mental problems. Thujone was the culprit, along with the fact that Absinthe was manufactured with an alcohol content of 68% or 132 proof.

Absolutely pure gold is so soft that it can be molded with the hands.

According to a global survey in 1997 by Durex Condoms Canadians are the world's fourth worst lovers. The worst three slots belong to South Africa, Russia, and Poland.

According to a recent survey, more Americans lose their virginity in June than any other month.

According to an Old English system of time units, a moment is considered to be one and a half minutes.

According to bar sales across the U.S., here are the top 15 cocktails: 1) Dry martini, 2) Manhattan, 3) Whiskey sour, 4) Bloody Mary, 5) Gimlet, 6) Daiquiri, 7) Tom Collins, Old Fashioned, 9) Margarita, 10) Screwdriver, 11) Bacardi, 12) Stinger, 13) Harvey Wallbanger, 14) Gin & Tonic, and 15) Rum & Coke

According to Bristol zoo, the Howler monkey's growl is so loud, it can be heard 5km (3.3 miles for u Americans) away.

According to German researchers, the risk of heart attack is higher on Monday than any other day of the week.

According to Hammurabi's Code, the penalty for medical malpractice was to cut off the doctor's hands.

According to Hawaiian lore, the earth mother Papa mated with the sky father Wakea to give birth to the Hawaiian Islands.

According to Illinois state law, it is illegal to speak English. The officially recognized language is "American."

According to L. Frank Baum, the name Oz was thought up when he looked at his filing cabinet and noticed one drawer marked A-G, a second tagged H-N, and a third labeled O-Z.

According to legend, when Burmese women are making beer, they need to avoid having sex or the beer will be bitter.

According to National Geographic, Mt. Everest grows about 4 millimeters a year: the two tectonic plates of Asia and India, which collided millions of years ago to form the Himalayas, continue to press against each other, causing the Himalyan peaks to grow slightly each year

According to Playboy, more women talk dirty during sex than men.

According to Playboy, the most popular sexual aid is erotic literature.

According to Scandinavian folklore, trolls only come out at night because sunlight would turn them to stone.

According to statistics, Australian women are the most likely to have sex on the first date.

According to the 1900 U.S. Census, there were: 596,000 carpenters, 280,000 laundresses, 220,000 blacksmiths, 134,000 tailors, 102,000 shoemakers, 42,000 porters, 37,000 stonecutters, 25,000 millers, 8,000 bootblacks, and 7,000 furriers

According to the film's animators, you'll see 6,469,952 black spots every time you watch 101 Dalmatians.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the Finnish word SAIPPUAKIVIKAUPPIAS a soapstone seller is the longest known palindrome in any language.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the single-seeded fruit of the giant fan palm, or Lodoicea maldivica, can weigh 44 lbs. Commonly known as the double coconut or coco de mer, it is found wild only in the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.

According to the International Labor Organization, a member of the labor force is someone between the age of 15 and 64.

According to the Kinsey Institute, the biggest erect penis on record measures 13 inches. The smallest tops off at 1 3/4 inches.

According to the Population Council, people overwhelmingly tend to marry partners who live near them.

According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, the most common job in the United States in the 1890s was a farmer. Today, it’s a salesman.

According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, two out of five women in America dye their hair.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the best time to spray household insects is 4:00 p.m. Insects are most vulnerable at this time. (It's just like its better to water your plants in the early mornings or the evenings)

According to the United States Postal Service, each person sent on average 689 letters throughout the year of 1996.

Activated charcoal made from coconut shells is the odor absorbing agent in odor-eating shoe liners.

Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger bought the first Hummer manufactured for civilian use in 1992. The vehicle weighed in at 6,300 lbs and was 7 feet wide.

Actress Jayne Mansfield accidentally exhaled her breast out of her dress during the telecast of the Academy Awards in 1957.

Acupuncture was first used as a medical treatment in 2700 BC by Chinese emperor Shen-Nung.

Adding sugar to coffee is believed to have started in 1715, in the court of King Louis XIV, the French monarch.

Adjusting for inflation, Cleopatra, 1963, is the most expensive movie ever made to date (mid-1999). Its budget of $44 million is equivalent to 270 million 1999 dollars.

Adolf Hitler's mother seriously considered having an abortion but was talked out of it by her doctor.

Adolph Hitler was a vegetarian, and had only 1, and i repeat, ONE, testicle.

Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone in 1846.

Adult bears can run as fast as horses.

Adult Northwestern American Grizzly Bears can bite through steel as thick as one half inch.

Advertisements for coffee in London in 1657 claimed that the beverage was a cure for scurvy, gout and other ills.

Africa's 8,000-year brewing history began with ancient Egyptian commercial brewing dynasties and still includes handmade tribal beers.

After Canada and Mexico, Russia is the nearest neighbor to the United States. Siberia’s easternmost point is just 56 miles from Alaska. In fact, in the middle of the Bering Strait, Russia’s Big Diomede Island and the U.S.’s Little Diomede Island are only two miles apart.

After his death in 896, the body of Pope Formosus was dug up and tried for various crimes.

After six months at the off-Broadway New York Shakespeare Festival Theater, Hair opened at the Biltmore Theater in New York, in 1968. It was the first rock-musical to play on the Great White Way.

After spending hours working at a computer display, look at a blank piece of white paper. It will probably appear pink.

After the decaffeinating process, processing companies no longer throw the caffeine away; they sell it to pharmaceutical companies.

After the sun, the closest star to Earth is 25,000,000,000,000 miles away.

After they are roasted, and when the coffee beans begin to cool, they release about 700 chemical substances that make up the vaporizing aromas.

Air pollution may contribute to two percent of all deaths in the US, some 50,000 cases per year. A nine-year study of US cities showed a strong correlation between death rates and periods of significant pollution.

Airbags are deployed at a rate of two-hundred miles per hour.

Al Capone's business card said he was a furniture dealer.

Al Gore and Tommy Lee Jones were once roommates.

Alaska, with 8, is the US state with the most national park sites.

Alaska's borders make it the farthest state east, west and north. Its Aleutian Islands extends across the 180th meridian, which puts the islands chain's end in the eastern hemisphere.

Albert Einstein and Charles Darwin both married their first cousins (Elsa Löwenthal and Emma Wedgewood, respectively).

Alekthophilia is the love of chickens.

Alexander Graham Bell's wife and mother were both deaf.

Alexander H. Stephens was Jefferson Davis's Vice President of the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Alfalfa sprouts and feta cheese contain bacteria that could be harmful to small children and pregnant women.

Alfred Hitchcock did not have a belly button. It was eliminated when he was sewn up after surgery.

Alfred Hitchcock directed the first talking film ever made in England. It was called Blackmail and was made in 1931.

All 17 children of Queen Anne died before her.

All clams start out as males; some decide to become females at some point in their lives.

All elephants walk on tip-toe because the back portion of their foot is made of no bone just fat.

All gondolas in Venice, Italy must be painted black, unless they belong to a high official.

All mammals have tongues.

All mammals, except man and monkey are color blind.

All nude people in your house must be registered in Kentucky.

All of Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, is heated by underground hot springs.

All of the clocks in the movie "Pulp Fiction" are stuck on 4:20.

All of the proceeds from James Barrie's book Peter Pan were bequeathed to the Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children in London.

All of the roles in Shakespeare's plays were originally acted by men and boys. In England at that time, it wasn't proper for females to appear on stage.

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The Most Interesting and Unusual Facts on the Net
Facetious and abstemious are the only words that contain all the vowels in the correct order.

"Adcomsubordcomphibspac" is the longest acronym. It is a Navy term standing for Administrative Command, Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet Subordinate Command.

"Almost" is the longest commonly used word in the English language with all the letters in alphabetical order.

"Flushable" toilets were in use in ancient Rome.

"Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson was the first video to air on MTV by a black artist.

"Canada" is an Indian word meaning "Big Village".

"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".

"Duff" is the decaying organic matter found on a forest floor.

"Fickleheaded" and "fiddledeedee" are the longest words consisting only of letters in the first half of the alphabet.

"Asthma" and "isthmi" are the only six-letter words that begin and end with a vowel and have no other vowels between.

"Fortnight" is a contraction of "fourteen nights." In the US "two weeks" is more commonly used.

"Forty" is the only number which has its letters in alphabetical order. "One" is the only number with its letters in reverse alphabetical order.

"Four" is the only number whose number of letters in the name equals the number.

"Hang on Sloopy" is the official rock song of Ohio.

"Happy Birthday" was the first song to be performed in outer space, sung by the Apollo IX astronauts on March 8, 1969.

"Kemo Sabe", meaning an all knowing one, is actually a mispronunciation by Native American of the Spanish phrase, Quien lo Sabe, meaning one who knows."

The lunula is the half-moon shaped pale area at the bottom of finger nails.

"Ma is as selfless as I am" can be read the same way backwards. If you take away all the spaces you can see that all the letters can be spelled out both ways.

"Mad About You" star Paul Reiser plays the piano on the show's theme song.

"One thousand" contains the letter A, but none of the words from one to nine hundred ninety-nine has an A.

"Ough" can be pronounced in eight different ways. The following sentence contains them all: "A rough-coated, dough-faced ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough, coughing and hiccoughing thoughtfully.

"Rhythms" is the longest English word without the normal vowels, a, e, i, o, or u.

"Second string," meaning "replacement or backup," comes from the middle ages. An archer always carried a second string in case the one on his bow broke.

"Speak of the Devil" is short for "Speak of the Devil and he shall come". It was believed that if you spoke about the Devil it would attract his attention. That's why when you're talking about someone and they show up people say "Speak of the Devil."

"Stewardesses" is the longest word that can be typed with only the left hand.

"Tautonyms" are scientific names for which the genus and species are the same.

"Taxi" is spelled exactly the same in English, French, German, Swedish, Portuguese, and Dutch.

"Teh" means "cool" in Thai. (Pronounced "tay".

"The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is said to be the toughest tongue twister in English.

"THEREIN" is a seven-letter word that contains thirteen words spelled using consecutive letters: the, he, her, er, here, I, there, ere, rein, re, in, therein, and herein.

"Underground" is the only word in the English language that begins and ends with the letters "und." $203,000,000 is spent on barbed wire each year in the U.S.

1 and 2 are the only numbers where they are values of the numbers of the factors they have.

1 in 5,000 north Atlantic lobsters are born bright blue.

1 in every 3 people in the country of Israel use a cell phone.

1 kg (2.2 pounds) of lemons contain more sugar than 1 kg of strawberries.

1,525,000,000 miles of telephone wire are strung across the Unites States.

1.7 litres of saliva is produced each day. In Discovery Channel, its a quart.

10 percent of all human beings ever born are alive at this very moment.

10% of human dry weight comes from bacteria

11% of the world is left-handed.

111, 111, 111 X 111, 111, 111 = 12, 345, 678, 987, 654, 321

1200 equals 1 pound (72 rupees).

123,000,000 cars are being driven on highways in the United States.

166,875,000,000 pieces of mail are delivered each year in the United States.

1959's A Raisin in the Sun was the first play by a black woman to be produced on Broadway.

2 and 5 are the only prime numbers that end in 2 or 5.

203 million dollars is spent on barbed wire each year in the U.S.

22,000 checks will be deducted from the wrong bank accounts in the next hour.

23% of all photocopier faults worldwide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their buttocks.

25% of a human's bones are in its feet.

259200 people die every day.

27% of Americans believe we never landed on the moon.

27% of U.S. male college students believe life is "a meaningless existential hell."

3% of all mammals are monogamous

315 entries in Webster's 1996 dictionary were misspelled.

315 words in the 1996 Webster's dictionary were mispelled.

4 tablespoons of ketchup has about the same amount of nutrition as a ripe tomato.

40% of all people who come to a party snoop in your medicine cabinet.

40% of McDonald's profits come from the sales of Happy Meals.

43.7% of all statistics are made up right on the spot

48% of astronauts experience motion sickness.

52% of Americans drink coffee.

55.1% of all US prisoners are in prison for drug offenses.

56,000,000 people go to Major League baseball games each year

67 million pounds of pesticides and about 3 million tons of fertilizer are used annually on lawns in the US.

78 rpm albums, used prior to 1948, were only capable of recording for four minutes. It wasn’t until later that year that Columbia Records introduced 33 rpm albums capable of playing 23 minutes per side.

80% of animals on earth are insects.

80% of arrested criminals are male.

In Disney's Fantasia, the Sorcerer to whom Mickey played an apprentice was named Yensid, which is Disney spelled backward.

By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you cannot sink into quicksand.

One in ten people live on an island.

84% of a raw apple is water.

It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with.

85% of men who die of heartattacks during intercourse, are found to have been cheating on their wives.

85,000,000 tons of paper are used in the United States each year.

28% of Africa is classified as wilderness. In North America, its 38%.

Charlie Chaplin once won third prize in a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest.

Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.

90% of bird species are monogamous; only 3% of animals are.

90% of New York City cab drivers are recently arrived immigrants.

98% of all murders and rapes are by a close family member or friend of the victim.

98% of the weight of water is made up from oxygen.

99% of the pumpkins sold in the US end up as jack-o-lanterns.

A "2 by 4" is really 1 1/2 by 3 1/2.

A "Blue Moon" is the second full moon in a calendar month (it is rarely blue).

A "hairbreadth away" is 1/48 of an inch.

A "jiffy" is actually a proper time unit for 1/100th of a second

A "quidnunc" is a person who is eager to know the latest news and gossip.

A 1,200-pound horse eats about seven times it's own weight each year.

A 1.5 oz. milk chocolate bar has only 220 calories. A 1.75 oz. serving of potato chips has 230 calories.

A 10-gallon hat actually only holds about 3/4 gallon.

A 14-year old French girl had extraordinary electrical power. With a gentle touch she could knock over heavy pieces of furniture and people in physical contact with her received an electrical shock.

A 17 year old girl from Miami, Florida started to sneeze on 4th January'66 ant continued till 8th June'66.

A 6 pound sea-hare can lay 40,000eggs in a single minute.

A 7-year study, which concluded in the summer of 2000, found that 33 U.S. deaths were caused by rottweilers, pit bulls were responsible for 27 deaths.

A acre of coffee trees can produce up to 10,000 pounds of coffee cherries. That amounts to approximately 2000 pounds of beans after hulling or milling.

A B-25 bomber crashed into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building on July 28, 1945.

A Baboon called "Jackie" became a private in the South African army in World War I.

A bat is the only mammal that flies.

A bathometer is an instrument for indicating the depth of the sea beneath a moving vessel.

A bean has more DNA per cell than a human cell

A bee could travel 4 million miles (6.5 million km) at 7 mph (11 km/h) on the energy it would obtain from 1 gallon (3.785 liters) of nectar, or it could just sit down on and enjoy that honey properly.

A beaver's teeth never stop growing.

A bibliophile is a collector of rare books. A bibliopole is a seller of rare books.

A bird requires more food in proportion to its size than a baby or a cat.

A Blue Earth, Minnesota, law declares that no child under the age of twelve may talk over the telephone unless monitored by a parent.

A blue whales heart only beats nine times per minute.

A body decomposes four times as fast in water than on land.

A Boeing 747's wingspan is longer than the Wright brother's first flight.

A bowling pin only needs to tilt 7.5 degrees to fall.

A broken clock is right at least twice a day.

A butterfly can look at you through 12,000 eyes.

A Californian doctor has set the record of eating 17 bananas in two minutes.

A Canadian tattoo artist had 4,831 tattoos on his body.

A capon is a castrated rooster.

A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

A cat has 4 rows of whiskers.

A cat uses it's whiskers to determine if a space is too small to squeeze through.

A chameleon can move its eyes in two directions at the same time.

A chameleon's tongue is twice the length of its body.

A Cheetah at full speed takes strides of 8 meters.

A cheetah is the fastest animal, clocked in at: 70mph.

A chef's hat is tall and balloons at the top so as to counteract the intense heat in the kitchen. The unique shape allows air to circulate around the scalp, keeping the head cool.

A Chicago law forbids eating in a place that is on fire.

A chicken who just lost its head can run the length of a football field before dropping dead.

A chimpanzee can learn to recognize itself in a mirror, but monkeys can't.

A citizen of Calcutta, India , grew the fingernails on his left hand to a length of 76 inches.

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Illinois
• "Dwarf-tossing," the strange practice of hurling dwarfs in padded suits, is outlawed in the bars of Springfield, Ill., because it's dangerous and exploitative. The practice is apparently allowed elsewhere in town, with a special permit.
• A law from the early 1900's prohibits men from going topless on the Boardwalk. (Repealed)
• A state law in Illinois mandates that all bachelors should be called master, not mister, when addressed by their female counterparts.
• According to state law, it is illegal to speak English. The officially recognized language is "American".
• An Illinois state law requires that a man's female companion shall call him "master" while out on a date. The law does not apply to married couples.
• Champaign: One may not pee in his neighbor's mouth.
• Chicago: Law forbids eating in a place that is on fire; It is illegal to give a dog whiskey; Kites may not be flown within the city limits; Spitting is forbidden
• Cicero: Humming on public streets is prohibited on Sundays.
• Crete: It is considered an offense to attempt to have sex with one's dog; Cars may not be driven through the town.
• Des Plaines: Wheelbarrows with For-Sale signs may not be chained to trees.
• Eureka: A man with a moustache may not kiss a woman.
• Evanston: Bowling is forbidden; It is illegal to go trick-or-treating on Halloween; It is unlawful to change clothes in an automobile with the curtains drawn, except in case of fire.
• Fairfield: It is unlawful for "Negroes" to be within county boundaries from sundown to sunrise.
• Freeport: It is illegal to expectorate from any second-story window.
• Galesburg: There is a $1,000 dollar fine for beating rats with baseball bats.
• Homer: It is against the law to use a slingshot unless your are a law enforcement officer.
• If the Rushville, Ill., city council doesn't have a quorum, those sent can have the cops go out and arrest absent members and bring them to the meeting.
• In Illinois it is illegal for barbers to use their fingers to apply shaving cream to a customer's face.
• In Illinois, it is illegal for anyone to give lighted cigars to dogs, cats, and other domesticated animal kept as pets.
• In Chicago it is also illegal to take a French poodle to the opera, and for women over 200 pounds (90 kilos) to ride horses in shorts.
• In Chicago, Illinois, it is illegal to fish in pajamas.
• In Chicago, people who are diseased, maimed, mutilated, or "otherwise an unsightly or disgusting object" are banned from going out in public.
• In Minoola, Ill., it's illegal to take your clothes off and "expose the naked
• In Oblong, Illinois, it's punishable by law to make love while hunting or fishing on your wedding day.
• In Zion, Ill., it is illegal for anyone to give lighted cigars to dogs, cats, and other domesticated animals kept as pets.
• It is against the law for a monster to enter the corporate limits of Urbana, Illinois.
• It is considered an offense to attempt to have sex with one's dog.
• It is illegal for anyone to give lighted cigars to dogs, cats, and other domesticated animal kept as pets.
• It is illegal to give a dog whiskey.
• It is legal to protest naked in front of city hall as long as you are under seventeen years of age and have legal permits.
• It is unlawful to change clothes in an automobile with the curtains drawn, except in case of fire.
• It's not clear what this has done to the bar business, but a law in Chicago, Ill., makes it illegal to serve liquor to the feeble-minded.
• Joliet: Town fathers, reflecting the pet peeve of hearing their town's name mispronounced 'Jolly-ETTE' when all local folk know it's pronounced 'Joe-lee-ETTE', made pronouncing it Jolly-ette a misdemeanor, punishable by a $5 fine.
• Kenilworth: A rooster must step back three hundred feet from any residence if he wishes to crow; Hens that wish to cackle must step two hundred feet back from any residence.
• Kirkland: Bees are not allowed to fly over the village or through any of Kirkland's streets.
• Law forbids eating in a place that is on fire.
• Moline: Ice skating at the Riverside pond during the months of June and August is prohibited; There is a ban on unnecessary repetitive driving on 23rd Avenue.
• Morton Grove: You may not own a handgun
• Normal: It is against the law to make faces at dogs.
• Orland Park: No pool tables are allowed in a public establishment, because it supports gambling.
• Ottawa: Spitting on the sidewalk is a criminal offense.
• Park Ridge: Trucks may only park inside closed garages.
• Peoria: Basketball hoops may not be installed on a driveway.
• Pullman: It is illegal to drink beer out of a bucket while sitting on the curb; It is forbidden to fish while sitting on a giraffe's neck; It is legal to protest naked in front of city hall as long as you are under seventeen years of age and have legal permits.
• The English language is not to be spoken.
• Take some elocution lessons if you're going to Joliet, Ill., where it's against the law to mispronounce the city's name. Offenders can be fined up to $500.
• The people in Manteno, Ill., do not want used facial tissue, period. Hence, you cannot "throw, drop or place" a used hankie "upon any public way or public place or upon the floor of any convenience or upon the floor of any theater, hall or assembly or public building or upon the surface or any lot or parcel of ground or on the roof on any building or in any light or air shaft, court or areaway."
• Under a 1872 law still on the books, an alderman in Chicago can carry a gun. Some do.
• You may be arrested for vagrancy if you do not have at least one dollar bill on your person.
• You may be convicted of a Class 4 felony offense, punishable by up to three years in state prison, for the crime of "eavesdropping" on your own conversation. -720 ILCS 5/14-2.
• You may be convicted of a Class 4 felony offense, punishable by up to three years in state prison, for the crime of "eavesdropping" on your own conversation.
• You must contact the police before entering the city in an automobile.
• Zion: It is illegal for anyone to give lighted cigars to dogs, cats, or any other domesticated animals.
Indiana
• "Spiteful Gossip" and "talking behind a person's back" are illegal.
• A man over the age of 18 may be arrested for statutory rape if the passenger in his car is not wearing her socks and shoes, and is under the age of 17.
• A person who dyes, stains, or otherwise alters the natural coloring of a bird or rabbit commits a Class B misdemeanor. (Ind. Code 15-2.1-21-13(b)
• A sports agent is supposed to give a college 10 days notice before luring a star athlete into the professional ranks.
• A three dollar fine per pack will be imposed on anyone playing cards in Indiana under the Act for the Prevention of Gaming.
• All males 18 to 50 years old must work six days a year on public roads.
• Anyone 14 or older who profanely curses, damns or swears by the name of God, Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost, shall be fined one to three dollars for each offense, with a maximum fine of ten dollars per day.
• Auburn: It is illegal to bike, roller-skate, skateboard, or inline skate in a commercially zoned area. For these offenses, there is a fine of no more than $5 or the impounding of one's bicycle for a period not to exceed 30 days.
• Back in 1924, a monkey was convicted in South Bend of the crime of smoking a cigarette and sentenced to pay a 25 dollar fine and the trial costs.
• Bathing is prohibited during the winter.
• Baths may not be taken between the months of October and March.
• Beech Grove: It is forbidden to eat watermelon in the park.
• Check forgery can be punished with public flogging up to 100 stripes.
• Citizens are not allowed to attend a cinema or theatre nor ride in a public streetcar within at least four hours after eating garlic.
• Drinking from your own bottle in a bar can lead to your arrest.
• Drinks on the house are illegal.
• Due to a typographical error, a routine ordinance in Shelbyville, Ind., about charging for bad checks started out: "Whereas, the city of Shelbyville through its various governmental fascists receives numerous checks, " This was changed to "governmental facets."
• Elkhart: It is illegal for barbers to threaten to cut off kid's ears.
• Evansville: While driving on Main Street you may not have your lights on.
• Fort Wayne: You may not sell or play on a radio broadcast, the record "It's In the Book".
• Gary: Within four hours of eating garlic, a person may not enter a movie house, theater, or ride a public streetcar.
• Grocery stores may not sell any type of cold liquor.
• Hotel sheets must be exactly 99 inches long and 81 inches wide.
• If any person has a puppet show, wire dancing or tumbling act in the state of Indiana and receives money for it, they will be fined $3 under the Act to Prevent Certain Immoral Practices.
• In Gary, Ind., persons are prohibited from attending a movie house or other theater and from riding a public streetcar within four hours of eating garlic.
• In Indiana it is illegal to sell laughing gas with the intent to induce laughter.
• In South Bend, Indiana, it is illegal to make a monkey smoke a cigarette.
• It is against the law to pass a horse on the street.
• It is illegal in Elkhart, Indiana, for a barber to threaten to cut off a youngster's ears.
• It is illegal for a liquor store to sell cold soft drinks.
• It is illegal for a man to be sexually aroused in public.
• It is illegal for barbers to threaten to cut off kid's ears.
• It is illegal to sell cars on Sunday.
• Liquor stores may not sell milk.
• Men are prohibited from standing in a bar.
• Monkeys are forbidden to smoke cigarettes in South Bend.
• Mustaches are illegal if the bearer has a tendency to habitually kiss other humans.
• No one may catch a fish with his bare hands.
• One man may not back into a parking spot because it prevents police officers from seeing the license plate.
• MouthAction is illegal.
• Pedestrians crossing the highway at night are prohibited from wearing tail lights.
• Smoking in the state legislature building is banned, except when the legislature is in session.
• South Bend: It is illegal to make a monkey smoke a cigarette.
• State government officials who engage in private duels can be dismissed from their post.
• Taxpayers of Bainbridge, Ind., used to have to swear a solemn oath that the values they placed on their taxable property were the fair market values.
• Terre Haute: No one may spit on the sidewalk.
• The value of Pi is 4, and not 3.1415.
• Within four hours of eating garlic, a person may not enter a movie house, theater, or ride a public streetcar.
• You are not allowed to carry a cocktail from the bar to a table; the waiter or waitress has to do it.
• You are required to pour your drink into a glass.
• You can get out of paying for a dependent's medical care by praying for him/her.
Iowa
• A man with a moustache may never kiss a woman in public.
• An owner or employee of an establishment in Iowa that sells alcohol can't legally consume a drink there after closing for business.
• Don't plan on running a "tab" in Iowa; it's illegal.
• Horses are forbidden to eat fire hydrants in Marshalltown, Iowa.
• If a law enforcement officer is having a drink in a bar in Iowa and an employee pours water down the drain, the water is legally considered an alcohol beverage intended for unlawful purposes.
• In Dubuque any hotel in the city limits must have a water bucket and a hitching post in front of the building.
• In Fort Madison the fire department is required to practice fire fighting for fifteen minutes before attending a fire.
• In Marshalltown horses are forbidden to eat fire hydrants.
• In Ottumwa, Iowa, "It is unlawful for any male person, within the corporate limits of the (city), to wink at any female person with whom he is unaquainted."
• Indianola: The "Ice Cream Man" and his truck are banned.
• It is a violation of the law to sell or distribute drugs or narcotics without having first obtained the appropriate Iowa drug tax stamp.
• It is illegal to hunt from an aircraft.
• It is illegal to accept a gratuity or tip in Iowa.
• It's safe to make love while parked in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Police officers aren't allowed to walk up and knock on the window. Any suspicious officer who thinks that sex is taking place must drive up from behind, honk his horn three times and wait approximately two minutes before getting out of his car to investigate.
• Kisses may last for as much as, but no more than, five minutes.
• One-armed piano players must perform for free.
• Ottumwa: Within the city limits, a man may not wink at any woman he does not know.
• Riverboat gamblers in Iowa have a $5 maximum bet.
• The Iowa Legislature once passed a resolution ordering the state cafeteria to start serving cornbread.
• Warn your hubby that after lovemaking in Ames, Iowa, he isn't allowed to take more than three gulps of beer while lying in bed with you -- or holding you in his arms.
• You may shoot Native Americans if there are more than five of them on your property at any one time.

Kansas
• Dodge City: It is illegal to spit on a sidewalk. All places of business must provide a horse water troft
• If two trains meet on the same track, neither shall proceed until the other has passed.
• In Kansas City, KS, saying the name "George Washington" without adding the phrase "blessed be his name," can land you with a fine of up to fifty cents.
• In Natoma, Kansas, it's illegal to throw knives at men wearing striped suites.
• In Topeka, Kansas, servers are forbidden to serve wine in teacups.
• In Wichita, at the intersection of Douglas and Broadway, all motorists are required to stop at the intersection, exit their vehicles, and fire three shotgun rounds, before continuing on their way.
• It is illegal to catch bullfrogs in a tomato patch.
• It is illegal to hunt whales.
• It is illegal to put ice cream on cherry pie in Kansas.
• Kansas state law requires pedestrians crossing the highways at night to wear tail lights.
• Lawrence: All cars entering the city limits must first sound their horn to warn the horses of their arrival. No one may wear a bee in their hat.
• Minors in Kansas City, Missouri, are not allowed to purchase cap pistols; they may buy shotguns freely, however.
• No one may catch fish with his bare hands in Kansas.
• Pedestrians crossing the highways at night must wear tail lights.
• Rabbits may not be shot from motorboats.
• Russell: Musical car horns are banned
• Salina: It is against the law to leave your car running unattended.
• The state game rule prohibits the use of mules to hunt ducks.
• Topeka: The installation of bathtubs is prohibited.
• Wichita: Before proceeding through the intersection of Douglas and Broadway, a motorist is required to get out of their vehicle and fire three shot gun rounds into the air. Any person caught using or carrying bean snappers or the like shall upon conviction, be fined. -City ordinance 349 of Wichita, Kansas.
Kentucky
• A person can be sent to jail for five years for merely sending a bottle of beer, wine or spirits as a gift to a friend in Kentucky.
• An ordinance in Murray, Ky., says the superintendent of sanitation "shall determine whether a person is small, medium or large." Why the superintendent should make this determination is left unsaid.
• A Kentucky statute says: "No female shall appear in a bathing suit on any highway within this state unless she is escorted by at least two officers or unless she be armed with a club." Later, an amendment proposed: "The provisions of this statute shall not apply to any female weighing less than sixty pounds nor exceeding 200 pounds; nor shall it apply to female horses."
• All nude people in your house must be registered in Kentucky.
• An excerpt from brilliant Kentucky state legislation. "No female shall appear in a bathing suit on any highway within this state unless she be escorted by at least two officers or unless she be armed with a club". The following important ammendment however is to be considered here: "The provisions of this statuate shall not apply to females weighing less than 90 pounds nor exceeding 200 pounds,
• Any person who appears on any highway, or upon the street of any city that has no police protection, when clothed only in ordinary bathing garb, shall be fined no less than five dollars nor more than twenty-five dollars." - KRS 436.140
• Any person who displays, handles or uses any kind of reptile in connection with any religious service or gathering shall be fined not less than fifty dollars ($50) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100). -KRS 437.060 (Passed 1942, from Ky. Stat. sec. 1267a-1.).
• By law, anyone who has been drinking is "sober" until he or she "cannot hold onto the ground".
• Each year, the mayor of Danville, Ky., must appoint "three intelligent housekeepers" to the Board of Tax Supervisors.
• Frankfort, Kentucky, makes it against the law to shoot off a policeman's tie.
• In Danville, Ky., it's illegal to throw slops or soapsuds in the street.
• In Kentucky, according to an old law, it's illegal to use any kind of reptile in a religious service. It's not certain if the law would withstand First Amendment scrutiny today.
• In Kentucky every citizen of is required to take a shower once a year.
• In Kentucky you need a license to walk around nude on your property.
• In Lexington, Kentucky, it's illegal to carry an ice cream cone in your pocket.
• It is illegal in Kentucky to marry the same man more than 3 times.
• It is illegal to fish with a bow and arrow in Kentucky.
• It is illegal to shoot game out of the window of a moving vehicle, with the exception of a whale
• It is illegal to transport an ice cream cone in your pocket.
• It's illegal to fish in the Ohio River in Kentucky without an Indiana Fishing License.
• Lexington: It is illegal to transport an ice cream cone in your pocket. By law, anyone who has been drinking is "sober" until he or she "cannot hold onto the ground."
• No person owning or controlling a billiard or pool table shall permit, for compensation or reward, any minor under eighteen (18) years of age to play any game on the table, unless such minor shall have first displayed an identification card containing his name, age, photograph, and the signature of his parents or guardian. The minor shall keep such identification card on his person, and it shall be subject to inspection at any time by any peace officer. The person owning or controlling such billiard or pool table shall keep and maintain a registration book in which each minor shall sign. The person owning or controlling such billiard or pool table shall supply a blank identification card to each parent or guardian who makes request for same. Any person who violates this section shall be fined not less than ten ($10) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100) for each offense. -KRS 436.320 (Passed 1893; Amended in 1954, Ky. Acts ch. 232, sec. 1)
• No person shall sell, exchange, offer to sell or exchange, display or possess living baby chicks, ducklings, or other fowl or rabbits which have been dyed or colored; nor dye or color any baby chicks, ducklings or other fowl or rabbits; nor sell, exchange, offer to sell or exchange or to give away baby chicks, ducklings or other fowl or rabbits, under two months of age in any quantity less than six, except that any rabbit weighing three pounds or more may be sold at an age of six weeks. Any person who violates this section shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500. -KRS 436.600 (Passed 1966 Ky. Acts ch. 215, sec. 5.)
• Owensboro: A woman may not buy a hat without her husband's permission. One may not receive anal sex.
All bees entering Kentucky shall be accompanied by certificates of health, stating that the apiary from which the bees came was free from contagious or infectious disease. -KRS 252.130 (Passed in 1922; Repealed in 1948)

CHAPTER ONE

1.1 THE CONCEPT OF MILITARY EDUCATION
The history of a military academy such as the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) is rooted in the history of structured military education and as the latter is rooted in the history and nature of armed conflict, an overview of the history of armed conflict is indispensable to this project. A brief outline of the earliest origins of war and the circumstances which have prompted statesmen and leaders throughout history to wage war will be attempted here.
Warfare is as old as man. The earliest primates fought over fruits and berries, and possibly over women. Undoubtedly, those clashes were less sophisticated than a bar room brawl and the outcome were often as inconclusive as that.
As the human population grew, communities grew, and began to hunt for resources in numbers. Large hunting parties would go after meat and fruits for the tribe while the women and children camped near sources of fresh water. This is probably the stage where large scale fighting between humans first started. Tribes fought over the proceeds of hunts and particularly productive fruit trees.
At this point in human history, warfare was nothing more than a mass brawl which in contemporary military terms is known as a melee. The weapons used were only as sophisticated as stones and clubs. This changed rapidly though.
Beginning in Mesopotamia, states produced sufficient agricultural surplus that full-time ruling elites and military commanders could emerge. While the bulk of military forces were still farmers, the society could support having them campaigning rather than working the land for a portion of each year. Thus, organized armies developed for the first time. These new armies could help states grow in size and became increasingly centralized, and the first empire, that of the Sumerians, formed in Mesopotamia1.
As human communities grew increasingly sophisticated, the reasons for conflict accordingly expanded. Economic reasons were chief of these. Trading disputes and acts of criminal competition often drove clans to wage war against each other. Another reason was personal aggrandizement. Military leaders who led their communities to victory in war could expect generous office and awesome power. The legendary founder of Babylon Nimrod was famed as a hunter, leader, warrior and pioneer. He led his people to victory over neighbouring tribes and then established the city of Babylon. Needless to say, he was the ruler of that city.
As wars became more frequent, the need for devoted military organization arose. Initially, the earliest organised states like Egypt, Assyria, and Mesopotamia had no standing armies other than the personal bodyguard of the ruler. These troops were the only trained weapon bearers in antiquity; they were also entrusted with the task of mobilizing and disciplining civilians and slaves mustered to arms in time of war.
Organized battles emerged around the year 6000 BC. The first archaeological record, though disputed, of a prehistoric battle is about seven thousand years old, and it is located on the Nile in Egypt, in an area known as Cemetery 117. A large number of bodies, many with arrowheads embedded in their skeletons, indicate that they may have been the casualties of a battle2.
However by 3000 BC, the Egyptians had begun to organize a standing military force within her borders. This was the precursor to expansionist wars against such states as the Mitanni, the Hittites; and larger confrontations with the Mesopotamians and the Assyrians.
At that time however, warfare was still proto-primitive. No armor was used during the 3rd and early 2nd Millennium BC. War was crude, in tactics and weapons. Ancient strategy focused broadly on the twin goals of convincing the enemy that continued war was more costly than submitting, and of making the most gain from war as possible3.
Forcing the enemy to submit generally consisted of defeating their army in the field. Once the enemy force was routed, the threat of siege, civilian deaths, and the like often forced the enemy to the bargaining table. However, this goal could be accomplished by other means. Burning enemy fields would force the choice of surrendering or fighting a pitched battle. Waiting an enemy out until their army had to disband due to the beginning of the harvest season or running out of payment for mercenaries presented an enemy with a similar choice.
The first weapons of war were the fist, clubs, spiked clubs, crude spears and stones. These were not to change for another 1000 years. Early armies in Egypt and China followed a pattern of using massed infantry armed with bows and spears 1500-1000 BC. This was to change rapidly too.
From 1000BC, as states grew in size and the implications of war expanded, military planners began to develop tactics and weapons which would increase the likelihood of victory. Chariot mounted bow men emerged, followed by advanced tactics.
The first dateable recorded sea battle occurred about 1210 BC: Suppiluliuma II, king of the Hittites, defeated a fleet from Cyprus, and burned their ships at sea4
In the Far East, the Chinese under the Chou dynasty 1122 -1121 had begun to develop a well organized and powerful military. Concepts of military planning were introduced to Chinese society during the Warring States period; during this time Sun Tzu penned the world’s oldest military treatise - The art of war.
The first account of siege warfare dates back to the Protodynastic Period of Egypt. The major advance in weapons technology and warfare began around 1600 BC when the Egyptians fought and finally defeated the Hyksos people who had made themselves lords of Lower Egypt. It was during this period the horse and chariot were introduced into Egypt. Other new technologies included the sickle sword, body armour and improved bronze casting.
In the 4th century BC, the Macedonians under Philip II of Macedon and his son Alexander the Great successfully integrated horse-borne warriors and the traditional Greek infantry, creating a military force of unmatched power.5
It was in this era that a serious attempt was made to inculcate matters of military studies in the education of the young. Greek philosophers like Herodotus began to make records of battles within the memory of living persons. From his pioneering work, traveling tutors began to teach the sons of the nobility of warfare and the considerations that surround it.
Empires have come and gone, wars have been waged endlessly, history has been written and re written several times. From all his battles, man learnt only one important thing; the business of war is serious business. In the words of Sun Tzu,
The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected6.
Which is why statesmen since the time of the Greeks have devoted time and resources to train the future generals and statesmen in those arts that are essential to the strategic balance of state power. In time, societies came to realize that 300 men armed with clubs and spikes fighting a force of aggregate size and arms could not assure any victory for either side. The need for winning strategies and or weaponry soon arose. Part of the strategy of antique warfare included having a larger and better trained population to sustain long periods of internecine conflict. This necessarily included the need to train upcoming generations in the skills of battle (as distinct from war). Hence originated military education. The earliest report of organized military instruction dates back to the Egyptian civilization where the pharaoh conscripted slaves into his army and forced them to receive military instruction.
By 500 BC, the strategic concept of war had made great advances. Military philosophers like Sun Tzu and Chanakya were redefining the way generals thought. Sun Tzu wrote that:
"Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances." 7
He is thought of as the father of military philosophy.
By the 10th century BC, organized military instruction was developed extensively by the Greek state of Sparta. In antiquity Sparta was a Dorian Greek military state, originally centred in Laconia. The Spartans trained their citizens from birth to become warriors. This process involved both physical and leadership command training. As a city-state devoted to military training, Sparta possessed the most formidable army in the Greek world, and after achieving notable victories over the Athenian and Persian Empires, regarded itself as the natural protector of Greece. The Spartans fought in a tight formation called the phalanx. They used longer spears than had been seen before and wore more armour than others. When confronted with the massed infantry tactics of the Persians in the Persian Wars, the Spartans emerged victorious despite far smaller numbers.8
The impressive military standing that Sparta achieved inspired later states to give heed formal training for their armed forces. The Romans began training legionnaires in the skills of war. Romans of noble blood also received instruction in fighting skills and military command. In this regard, the tutors relied on examples drawn from Greek military history.
However, most forms of military instruction available before the 15th century BC placed higher emphasis on tactics of battle rather than the overall strategy of war. Strategy and tactics are closely related. Both deal with distance, time and force but strategy is large scale while tactics are small scale. Originally strategy was understood to govern the prelude to a battle while tactics controlled its execution. As Clausewitz stated, a successful military strategy may be a means to an end, but it is not an end in itself.9 There are numerous examples in history where victory on the battlefield has not translated into long term peace, security or tranquillity.
In a rapidly changing world, the need was felt for capable persons trained in the requirements of leading not only armies but entire nations. Conventional military training was highly deficient in this regard.
The father of modern strategic study, Carl von Clausewitz, defined military strategy as "the employment of battles to gain the end of war." Hence, he gave the pre-eminence to a triumvirate of "arts" or "sciences" that govern the conduct of warfare; the others being tactics, the execution of plans and manoeuvring of forces in battle, and logistics, the maintenance of an army.
By the 15th century, European leaders had recognized the need for training of military personnel to conduct organized warfare. As French statesman Georges Clemenceau said, "War is too important a business to be left to soldiers."
In the 18th century military strategy was subjected to serious study. In the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), Frederick the Great improvised a "strategy of exhaustion" to hold off his opponents and conserve his Prussian forces. Assailed from all sides by France, Austria, Russia and Sweden, Frederick exploited his central position which enabled him to move his army along interior lines and concentrate against one opponent at a time. Unable to achieve victory, he was able to stave off defeat until a diplomatic solution was reached. Frederick's "victory" led to great significance being placed on "geometric strategy" which emphasized lines of manoeuvre, awareness of terrain and possession of critical strong points.
Political leaders therefore sought institutions capable of training not only field generals but thinkers and leaders of nations. This led to the establishment of modern military universities.
The RMA Sandhurst was formed in 1947, from a merger of the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich (which trained officers for the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers from 1741 to 1939) and the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. Following the ending of National Service in the UK, the RMAS became the sole establishment for initial officer training in the British Army as the Mons Officer Training School in Aldershot was closed.
The Royal Military College opened its doors in 1802; coincidentally the same year as Saint Cyr and West Point. Amongst the current Military Academies only the Dutch Military Academy is older
The Koninklijke Militaire Academie (KMA) is the Royal Military Academy of the Netherlands. It is located in the castle of Breda. The KMA takes care of the education and training of the officers of the Dutch airforce (KLu) and the Dutch army (KL). It has done so since the early 1800s. The training of the officers of the navy and marines is mainly done by the Koninklijk Instituut voor de Marine (KIM) in Den Helder.
1.1 BRIEF HISTORY OF NIGERIAN MILITARY
The Nigerian military began as a detachment of the British colonial regiment. With the conquest of Lagos in 1861, the British administrator of Lagos, Captain J. Glover RN raised in 1862 a force of 100 men known as the Lagos constabulary11.
After the royal Niger Company was granted a charter which enabled it to establish its government over the delta and the valleys of the Niger and Benue, it raised the royal Niger constabulary. This force grew from 150 men in 1886 to 1000 men at the end of 1889.
The title of constabulary as applied to these forces belied the fact that they were essentially military forces trained along military lines, officered by military officers, equipped with artillery and used to fight colonial wars12. An important step in the development of a modern army was taken in 1897 when the British government needed a more effective military force to counter French incursions in parts of northern Nigeria already claimed by Britain. Consequently col. F.D. Lugard was sent wit a team of officers to raise two battalions which they did in the same year. By December 1898, 1 battalion had 907 other ranks while 2nd battalion had 800 other ranks13.
By 1900, the total number of men in the Nigerian army had risen to 415314.
With the amalgamation of northern and southern Nigeria in 1914, the reorganisation of the military in Nigeria became necessary. All the army battalions in the two parts of the country were amalgamated and designated the Nigerian regiment with Nos 1 and 2 battalions stationed in the north while 3 and 4 battalions were stationed in the south15.
It is noteworthy that up till the eve of independence, the Nigerian army was still designated the Royal Nigerian Regiment of the West African frontier force. At independence, there were 228 British officers and 80 British NCO’s in the regiment which was commanded by a British general until 196516.
The history of the NN is traceable to the activities of the royal Niger Company which established a small navy to protect its interests in the Niger area. It established the first colonial naval force in the hinterland in 1886 with its HQ first at Asaba and later at Lokoja while Akassa to the south remained an important navy station and a repair base17.
Some of the company’s vessels like the Empire and Liberty were armed with 21/2 pounder guns in addition to their complements of small arms and machine guns. When the charter of the RNC was abrogated in 1900, the British government took over the ships and paid compensation for all the war materials from the company. By 1914 however, most of the vessels which formed part of the RNC naval arm were already out of commission. That same year, the Nigerian marine department was formed and it took part in military action against the Germans in Cameroon. However the department was not assigned any combat roles and performed only auxiliary functions like dredging and ferry service18.
The British government did not feel the need to provide a fully functional navy for the colony especially bearing in mind that the royal navy could always fulfil any of the duties which such force would be required to do. In 1956, the Nigerian marine department gave way to the Nigerian naval service which was charged with the naval defence of Nigeria within its territorial waters as well as related functions.
By Independence Day in 1960, the Nigerian military had two arms; an army and the Nigerian naval service. Both services were heavily dependent on Britain for weapons and officers. By January 1960, there were 228 British officers to 48 Nigerian combat officers.
However in 1965, the last British commander of the Nigerian army Major general Welby-Everard left the country and was replaced by Major General Ironsi. By 1966, there were no remaining foreigners in the Nigerian military19.
The last military service to be established for Nigeria is the Airforce which was established in 1964.

THE MILITARY TODAY
Presently, the Nigerian military is comprised of about 85,000 officers and men in the three services.
The army is structures as follows: 1st mechanised division Kaduna is allocated the north-west sector, the 2nd mechanised division based in Ibadan controls the south-west sector, the 3rd armoured division Jos is assigned the north-east sector while 82nd mechanised division Enugu controls the south-east sector.
The navy is structured as follows: Eastern naval command with HQ at Calabar, Western Naval command with HQ at Lagos, and the Naval training command with HQ in Port Harcourt.
The air force is divided into three commands: the tactical air command based at Makurdi, the training command and the support command.



Full article can be viewed at www.effikoland.com/blogs

credits to Igwe Uchenna. Faculty of Law University of Abuja

What is the most intresting thing broadcast from any mainstream media source in Nigeria in 2007?

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