AFTERMATH OF BOKO HARAM STRIKES: NIGERIA ARMY RECEIVES SOPHISTICATED MILITARY VEHICLES FROM THE UNITED STATES TO AIDE IN ITS WAR

THE DONATED VEHICLES

Reports have it that the Nigerian Army today, Thursday received a gift of 24 mine resistant, ambush proof vehicles from the United States as a means to facilitate its fight against the Boko Haram Islamic insurgents who are still causing mayhem in northeast Nigeria.

The US Consulate in Lagos released a statement saying that the MRAP vehicles, valued at $11 million, were donated in line with the desire of the US to assist Nigeria with both technical and military hardware to ensure its armed forces could contain the rising challenges of regional extremism in West Africa.

Speaking on the vehicles, Mr. Temitayo Famutimi of the US Department of State said: “The equipment donation represents part of the continuing US commitment to Nigeria and its neighbors to counter Boko Haram’s senseless acts of terror and promote regional security.”

In addition to this, the United States already provides advisers, intelligence, training and logistical support to Nigerian military forces fighting Boko Haram. The US also supplies humanitarian aid and other related support services to the many internally displaced persons forced out from their homes by the ongoing insurgency.

This week alone the Boko Haram terrorists have struck about twice in Borno State, North East Nigeria killing several people, they were reported to have entered the affected communities disguised as soldiers. They also sent in suicide bombers to unleash more deaths in the communities on the outskirts of the State capital, Maiduguri.

An eyewitness confirmed the death of at least 18 persons in the Boko Haram attack. He also confirmed the use of 3 female suicide bombers and one male one leading to the death of 11 persons.

This gift by the United States to Nigeria comes as a relief bearing in mind the notion that the US was not ready to have its military equipment used by the Nigerian Army in its fight against Boko Haram because of some adduced reasons which Nigeria had not found acceptable. This was the reason the past regime gave as the cause of its resort to the arms black market to source for some of its arms purchase.