Insecurity: FG Appeals to US to Deliver Super Tucano Jets Immediately.
The United States has been sought with an appeal from Nigeria to speed up the delivery of Super Tucano aircraft ordered by the country.
The Minister of Defense, Maj Gen Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd) made the appeal when he hosted a five-man US delegation led by the Secretary, US Air Force, Barbara Barrett at the Ministry of Defense Headquarters, Ship House Abuja.
Magashi who noted that space defense is a force multiplier in military operations said the jets will enhance the capabilities of the military in curbing the activities of Boko Haram insurgents and general insecurity in Nigeria.
Specifically, the Minister noted that the fighter jets would boost the capabilities of the military in combating insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, and other forms of criminality in the country.
In a statement dated 5th January 2020 and made available to Gistlover by the Special Assistant to the Minister of Defense on Media and Publicity, Mohammad Abdulkadri also quoted Magashi as reiterating the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to equipping Nigeria’s military and strengthening cooperation between America and Nigeria.
Barbara Barrett, who is the fourth woman and 25th to occupy the position as Air Force Secretary comprising of Air Force and US Space Force Areas of Responsibility (AoR), in her remarks, described Nigeria as the destination of choice in Africa for partnership in harnessing space assets through the instrumentality of science and technology in national defense.
She assured the Minister of Defense that the already established military cooperation between Nigeria and US will be taken to the next level to promote peace and tranquility in the country.
Present at the meeting between Nigeria and the US delegation were the new Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defense, Musa Istifanus, Chief of Defense Staff, General Gabriel Abayomi Olonisakin, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Saddiq Baba Abubakar and the Defense Attached in Washington DC, Air Commodore J. Usman.
