The federal government has taken delivery of all the 12 A-29
Super Tucano fighter jets expected from the United States.
Lai Mohammed, the minister of information and culture, made
this known on Monday during a TV Continental programme.
The minister described the fighter jets as a “game changer”
and disclosed that they have been used for operations in the north-east.
He said the jets contributed to the recent successes
recorded by the military.
“All the 12 Super
Tucano fighter jets have been received. As at this morning, all the 12 were
here and they have been deployed to the north-east,” he said.
“We can see that the Tucano jets are actually a game
changer.
“Most of the successes we have recorded in recent time is
because of the acquisition of the new platforms, not limited to the super
Tucano.”
The minister also commented on the Wall Street Journal (WSJ)
report which alleged that the Nigerian air force paid bandits N20 million in
exchange for an anti-aircraft gun.
According to the report, the anti-aircraft gun was stolen by
the bandits after a clash with a military unit in Rugu Forest, Katsina state.
The gun was said to have posed a threat to President
Muhammadu Buhari who was flying “to his hometown about 80 miles away”.
The air force had described the allegation as “utterly
illogical,” saying it could be part of a campaign to worsen insecurity in
Nigeria.
Giving his take on the matter, the minister said:
“Fortunately, the Air Force immediately debunked this because this exposes
their ignorance.
“Between Zamfara, Katsina, parts of Kaduna and Niger states,
there are about 150 bandit camps. Who then was the money given to?
“It does not make any sense and it is because they do not
understand how bandits operate that is why they can peddle that kind of fake
news.”
The minister added that the military’s onslaught against
terrorists is encouraging people to return to the farms, particularly in the
north-east.
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