By Ogbodo Dele
Bent on bringing the war against the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-east and its neighbouring states to a successful end,
the federal government said it would soon take over delivery of 12 super Tucano fighter jets bought for $496 million from the United States of America (USA).
Brig-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd) made the disclosure Monday evening at a coordinated town hall meeting for military and security establishments in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, the minister assures that with the payment of the money, the government of the United States is expected to deliver the 12 fighter jets as soon as possible.
According to him, the international community including the U.S. are happy that the capacity of Boko Haram strength had been completely neutralized.
With the payment as revealed by the minister, the stringent terms which Sharpedgenews online had been an encumbrance has therefore been laid to rest. He however was silent on whether Nigerian military will be carried along during the manufacture of the bomber aircraft.
Dan-Ali, while expressing confidence at the total defeat of Boko Haram, said: Gone are the days when our soldiers dropped their rifles and started running away from the war zone. Today, our gallant soldiers have successfully degraded the Boko Haram insurgents.”
He added that the federal government had acquired 5 units of caterpillar armoured mine-sweepers, new French patrol boats for the Nigerian Navy, and 2 fighter jets from Pakistan.