In a bid to meet the December deadline to rout out Boko Haram insurgents from the North East, Nigeria has hired mercenaries to combat the terrorists, senior military sources have revealed.
A source at Nigeria’s Defense Headquarters who pleaded anonymity said that the mercenaries, estimated at around 250 personnel and hired from South Africa-based private contractor Specialized Tasks, Training, Equipment and Protection, are being deployed along with fighter jets in Operation Fire Force.
The development was confirmed by another Army source, Turkish news agency, Anadolu Agency, reports. President Muhammadu Buhari had during the March 2015 presidential election campaign, condemned the use of mercenaries to fight.
The defense HQ source when asked why the Buhari administration is again deploying mercenaries, said it appears to be the most practical option if headway was to be made against militants whose guerrilla tactics are new to the Nigerian military.
No comments:
Post a Comment