ABUJA, (CAJ News) – NIGERIA’S military has accused media and critics of perpetrating a smear campaign following the recent multimillion-dollar sale of anti-terror aircraft by the United States.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has approved the $593 million foreign military sale including 12 A-29 Super Tucano light-attack aircraft to fight the militant Boko Haram group.
Ex-president Barack Obama had been against the decision to sell but owing to the West African country’s human rights In February, but Trump signaled his support for the sale during a phone call with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.
The military has been accused of failure to root the insurgency and human rights violations.
It expressed displeasure at the alleged campaign to tarnish the uniformed forces following the sale.
“The Nigerian Army wishes to note with great concern the recent spate of negative, unguarded comments and derogative publications both on mainstream and on online media,” Sani Kukasheka Usman, Director of Army Public Relations.
He said some “unidentified, unscrupulous and unpatriotic individuals and groups” had denigrated the armed forces, particularly, the army and the air force.
“This worrisome trend is observed mostly whenever we record successes in our military operations against Boko Haram terrorists and other laudable military endeavours such as when the United States Government decided to sell Tucano aircrafts to Nigeria.”
Usman added, “It is really surprising that these agents of destruction are not happy with the welcomed development of the sale of weapons and our collective success.”
The army spokesman said the aim of the said detractors was to denigrate the leadership of the military, demoralize troops and create doubts among the public on the military’s ability and capability to deal with security issues.
“Unfortunately for them, the Nigerian military is one of the best and most cohesive in the world,” Usman gloated.
– CAJ News