Us to Nigeria – “Restrict Super Tucano to North”

According to the US Government, the Super Tucano aircraft would be deployed only in the northern portion of the country, where Boko Haram terrorists have engaged the Nigerian state in a decade-long insurgency, killing thousands and displacing millions.

As a result, despite the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra’s categorization as a terrorist organization and the establishment of the armed Eastern Security Network by IPOB, the Federal Government cannot deploy security equipment in the South-East.

The South-East has been the epicenter of a separatist uprising that threatens to split the country in two.

Earlier this week, US Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jonathan Finer told journalists at an event attended by US Ambassador to Nigeria Mary Beth Leonard that the terms of the agreement regarding the sale of the 12 Tucano aircraft were precise.

In response to a question about whether the Tucano fighter jets would be used against secessionists in the South-East, Finer said the planes were an important platform for security, particularly in the North, and expressed delight at the deal’s completion.

See Also Insecurity: NAF Receives Super Tucano Aircraft

Finer said, “We are pleased to deepen our security cooperation with the Nigerian government. I think we made it very clear our expectations about this platform where it would be used and in the right way and we are always raising concerns when we have them and that it’s true with all our security partners around the world.

“This is an important platform for security, particularly in the North and we are pleased the transaction is finally concluded.”

According to the PUNCH, the military was unable to deploy the Tucano jets to smash the bandits in the North-West because the agreement inked with the US said that the aircraft, purchased from the US, would be used to combat terrorists rather than bandits.

This suggests that the fighter planes were only used to combat Boko Haram militants in the North-East.

According to reports, the service chiefs’ protests prompted the Senate and House of Representatives to urge to the President, Muhammadu Buhari, that bandits be branded as terrorists so that planes might be deployed against them.

The Federal Government had bought 12 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft to help it fight Boko Haram militants in the North-East.

The planes were believed to have cost $423 million.The Nigerian Air Force reported on July 22, 2021 in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, that the first batch of six Tucano aircraft arrived at Kano at around 12:34pm.

On the same day, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, said that the remaining six had been received and were being deployed to the North-East.