INDICATIONS have emerged that the United
States’ government is sending arms to the Nigerian military in its
efforts to crush Boko Haram.
Facts that the US is sending arms to
Nigeria came on the heels of the US Ambassador to Nigeria, James
Entwistle’s revelation in an interview with one of our correspondents
that the US government never placed arms embargo on Nigeria.
“There’s been a lot of misunderstanding
on this issue before, during and after President Muhammadu Buhari’s
visit to Washington. Let me be clear about a couple of things. One, we
had worked very closely with Nigeria on the Leahy Amendment….The second
piece of misinformation, which has been bandied about in (newspapers’)
headlines, is that the US has lifted its arms embargo on Nigeria. There
was never an arms embargo,” Entwistle said.
According to Radio France Internationale,
the US Defence Security Cooperation Agency records show that the
country’s Department of Defence is set to transfer military material to
Nigeria.
The RFI noted that a DSCA list
of “so-called Excess Defence Articles” slated for Nigeria indicated that
the US Army was about to transfer Caiman trucks, armoured vehicles
designed “to defeat current and emerging threats,” according to their
manufacturer, British-based BAE Systems.
The RFI added that the US
government was also sending armoured vehicles known as MaxxPro MRAP
(Mine Resistant Ambush Protected), made by Navistar Defence, an Illinois
company, and Israeli-based Plasan Sasa.
It is unclear which Nigerian military
units will receive the equipment, but the report said that the US
government had confirmed that deliveries were pending.
When The PUNCH contacted the
state department to confirm the types of military hardware the US would
be sending and when deliveries of the weapons would be made, the
newspaper was directed to contact Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence.
The spokesperson for the US State Department, Noel Clay, via an email to The PUNCH,
said, “The United States is set to expand its efforts to provide
bilateral security assistance to Nigeria to counter Boko Haram. We will
refer you to the Nigerian MoD to confirm the arrival of any US-origin
material, but we can say that a key component of our security assistance
to Nigeria in recent years has been training on the importance of
respect for human rights and professional military conduct.
“Impunity for human rights violations by
security forces not only tarnishes Nigeria’s reputation, but cannot
prohibit us from engaging with involved units. We will continue to work
with the Nigerian military to ensure they conduct disciplined military
operations in accordance with clear rules of engagement and
international law; treat all detainees humanely; allow access for
independent monitors to all detention facilities; and hold accountable
the perpetrators of unlawful violence.”
Meanwhile, a former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd.), has said that prayer is the best weapon against terrorism.
Gowon, who is also the founder of
Nigeria Prays, a non-profit organisation, said this on Sunday at the
National Prayer Rally, which held at the Olive Tree Parish of the
Redeemed Christian Church of God, Ikoyi, Lagos.
He observed that Boko Haram insurgency had been the most disturbing of all the problems of Nigeria.
“There is need for Nigerians to begin to
change their orientation and begin to pray according to the will and
purpose of God. The only way prayer can be of benefit to all is for us
to ask that God’s will be done. We should pray that God will answer our
prayers in way that it will be a blessing to all,” he said,
Gowon, as Nigeria’s ruler between 1967 and 1975, prosecuted the Nigeria-Biafra civil war.
He said the incessant suicide bombings in the country were enough cause for worry.
He said, “It is sad that some people
wilfully take their lives and the lives of others. This is a great
concern. There is no longer respect for lives. There is no regard for
human dignity. This is worrisome. That is why I really want to appeal to
Nigerians to raise an altar of prayer for Nigeria. We should
consistently pray and constantly ask that God will cause his mercy to
flow in our nation. The bloodletting is embarrassing and ungodly. It is
time for us to raise our voices and cry to God for His mercy on our
land.
“If God could save the Biblical Saul who
later became Paul, I am confident that God can touch the lives of these
people called Boko Haram. We know they are faceless and nobody knows
their agenda. That is why I believe that it is only God who can really
intervene in their lives and bring a change.”
Punch
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