The United States has approved the sale of military equipment worth an estimated $997 million to Nigeria
According to a statement issued on Thursday by the US department of defence, the weapons include 12 att@ck helicopters, 2,000 advanced precision k#ll we@pon system guidance sections, and night vision imaging system.
The approval comes after months of back and forth on the matter, with the US initially reported to have denied Nigeria’s request over human rights concerns.
But Lai Mohammed, minister of information, had claimed at the time that there was no such deal with the US.
The US gave the response barely two weeks after the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), appealed to the US government to consider relocating AFRICOM to Africa to assist Nigeria and other adjoining countries to combat worsening terr#rism, banditry and other security cr#ses.
According to the statement, the US said the sale of the weapons is part of efforts to boost security for Nigeria. “The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Nigeria of AH-1Z Att@ck Helicopter Related FMS Acquisitions and related equipment for an estimated cost of $997 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today,” the statement read.
The statement also revealed that the package includes $25m for human rights-related training, according to YahooNews. “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a strategic partner in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The proposed sale will better equip Nigeria to contribute to shared security objectives, promote regional stability and build interoperability with the U.S. and other Western partners. This sale will be a major contribution to U.S. and Nigerian security goals. Nigeria will have no difficulty absorbing the equipment and services into its armed forces.”
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