The immediate past National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki(retd.), has said some arms and ammunition, ordered during the government of former President Goodluck Jonathan, have yet to arrive in country.
The former NSA said some elements, whose identities he did not disclose, were frustrating the nation’s efforts to get the critically needed equipment to fight the terror sect, Boko Haram.
Dasuki said these in an interview with PR Nigeria, an Abuja-based media consultancy outfit, consulting for the Nigerian military and security agencies.
According to him, the former government, a a point, queried some arm suppliers for the delay in the supply of the items paid for by the government.
He said some of the equipment procured by the Jonathan administration would arrive the country soon, but was not specific about the time.
“It was unfortunate that some elements are frustrating the efforts as we even had to query some suppliers for the delay in the delivery of arms and ammunition,” Dasuki said.
The former security chief, whose Abuja and Sokoto residences were raided by operatives of the Department of State Services recently, explained that the previous administration acquired a lot of highly sophisticated equipment to fight and reclaim 22 local government areas from the insurgents after years of frustration by some countries.
He listed the items 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.”
The arms also included armoured tanks with comprehensive NBC protection system, Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles with capacity to withstand explosions, Improvised Explosive Devices and assorted Armoured Personnel Carriers with effective protective system against small arms fire and shrapnel.
He said the equipment were effectively utilised to recover 22 local government areas then under Boko Haram’s control and prevented the Boko Haram from disrupting the 2015 election.
Dasuki added that the security forces were able to use the equipment to prevent the leader of the sect, Abubakar Shekau, from releasing videos of threats against the country.
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