Boko Haram: We Acquired Sophisticated Weapons In The Last One Year For Military – Dasuki

Sambo DasukiWith recent revelations that the Nigerian military lacked the necessary equipment to confront Boko Haram, the immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) said on Thursday that the government of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan bought sophisticated equipment in the last one year to fight insurgents in the Northeast.
The former NSA pointed out that the weapons went a long way in assisting the military to recover many local governments that were occupied by insurgents.
He also said the acquisition of the equipment nullified the threat by Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, to disrupt the 2015 general elections.
Sambo made the clarifications in an interview with PRNigeria against the recent allegations that the military was starved of funds and equipment by the immediate past administration.
The immediate past Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, had at his Pulling-Out Parade last Thursday, complained about lack of equipment to fight Boko Haram during his tenure.
Likewise, the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, yesterday, also lamented that the political elite toyed with the health and vitality of the military through inadequate funding.
He, therefore, appealed to the government to create the right environment for recruitment, training, equipping and kitting of military personnel in the country.
However, Dasuki punctured these claims as he listed some of the military equipment purchased by the Jonathan administration to include Alpha jets, APCs, MRAP vehicles, advanced artillery pieces, assorted arms and ammunitions, highly sophisticated surveillance drones, T72 and carried out modification of F7 supersonic jet fighters.
According to him: “The armored tanks have comprehensive Nuclear, Biological, Chemical (NBC) protection/sensor system, just as we deployed Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles that we bought and could withstand Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks and ambushes. The vehicles had protected our troops from threats.
“We are glad that we also provided assorted Armoured Personnel Carriers to transport troops to the battlefield. They are armed for self-defence and to provide protection from attacks from shrapnel and small arms fire.
“All these were acquired in the last one year after years of frustration by Western powers who denied us of the equipment and sabotage our efforts to acquire same from other sources which are reasons for some delay in delivery”.
In spite of criticisms, Dasuki insisted that the military hardware assisted in “curtailing Boko Haram”.

3 COMMENTS

  1. And where are the weapons? Who are you deceiving? Ex-CDS Bader confirmed no single rifle was purchased throughout his tenure. Your claim of weapons confirms our suspicion that it was you people that were arming boko haram.

  2. He said the weapons assisted the military to recover many local governments that were occupied by insurgents. He also said the acquisition of the equipment checkmated Boko Haram leader, Imam Abubakar Shekau from disrupting the March general election.