SAN FRANCISCO, February 06, (THEWILL) –
The Nigerian government has paid $496 million to the United States government for the acquisition of 12 Super Tucano fighter jets to be used by the Nigerian Air Force in the ongoing military operations against the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east.
The Minister of Defence, Brig.-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd.), made the revelation on Monday at the special town hall meeting held for the military and security agencies in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
Dan-Ali said with the payment of the money, the U.S. government will deliver the jets as soon as possible, after accepting the letter requesting the sale of the bomber aircraft.
THEWILL recalls that the Minister recently expressed concern over the stringent terms given by the U.S. government for the sale of the aircraft, including the non-inclusion of Nigerian military personnel during their manufacture.
Although, he did not state if the terms had been renegotiated with the U.S. before payment or if they had been relaxed, he however, revealed that the U.S. President Donald Trump had commended the strength of Nigeria’s military when they met at a recent security meeting in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking on the decimation of the insurgents, the Minister said: “Gone are the days when our soldiers dropped their rifles and started running from the war front.
“Our gallant troops have successfully degraded the Boko Haram insurgents.
“Let me make it clear that currently, no single Nigerian territory is under the control of the Boko Haram terrorists.
“For instance, before the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari, 21 of the 27 local councils of Borno State were under the total control of the insurgents. But today, they are all liberated.
“Currently no Nigerian territory is under the insurgents, while we have freed 30,000 people, mainly women and children held by Boko Haram.”
In addition, he said the government had acquired five units of caterpillar armoured mine-sweepers, new French patrol boats for the Nigerian Navy, and two fighter jets from Pakistan.
