As part of its effort at supporting the fight against Boko Haram, the United States’ Government yesterday donated 24 Mine-Resistant, Armour-Protected (MRAP) Vehicles to Nigeria.
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“Nigeria is also in the process of receiving eight more of this vehicle through the same programme, which is called the excess defence article program, created to transfer excess USA military equipment to partner nation”.
“We have asked for your support in many endeavours, in particular throughout West Africa and you have responded”.
“I believe that the United States commitment to Nigeria is second to none. We have provided extensive training programmes, logistical supports, and equipment to the Nigerian armed forces and we will continue to do so”.
The U.S. government donated the armored vehicles through the Excess Defense Articles Program. Many of these vehicles will need some work.
Doyle said half of the 24 vehicles are in good working condition but will need “minor work”.
The Nigerian government has the task of servicing these vehicles before they are dispatched to the North East of the country for an expected deadly counter offensive against the sect. We have left Iraq with our forces and have downsized forces out of Afghanistan.
The probe of 241 companies over a contract scams and the resistance of the 3000 pardoned soldiers for redeployment to fight Boko Haram led some Nigerian newspapers on Friday. Two other soldiers sustained serious injuries while an armoured personnel carrier was destroyed in the blast.
Alli said that the donation would not have come at a better time than now, especially as Nigeria was grappling with the problem of insurgency. “The U.S. should provide the spares to enable us fix those that need to be serviced”, he was quoted to have said.
The U.S. consulate in Lagos announced on Thursday that it was donating the mine-resistant, ambush-protected (MRAP) vehicles, worth a total of $11 million.
“Recent “Dasukigate” confessions in Nigeria point to how easily the state can be turned into a plaything of whoever is in power or the complete dependence of the nation state on “international” forces, as shown in Chad, Niger and Mali”, Egbe Omo Oduduwa, said.
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He cautioned that the vehicles needed to be serviced prior to delivery, and the spares ordered from the United States.
