The United States Government says they reached an Federal Government to deploy the newly purchased Super Tucano aircraft only in the North to fight against Boko Haram terrorists that has killed thousands and displaced millions of Nigerians.
The Nigerian Government had bought 12 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft at the to aid in the fight against Boko haram terrorists..
This seems to be the reason the Federal Government have not deployed it to the South-East despite the designation of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organisation since the birth of Eastern Security Network (ESN) by IPOB and the clashes they have been having with the Nigerian security operatives.
This information and terms of agreement was made known to journalists by the US Principal Deputy National Security Advisor, Jonathan Finer, at an event attended by the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard.
When asked if the Tucano fighter planes might be deployed against secessionists in the South-East, Finer said, “We are pleased to deepen our security cooperation with the Nigerian government. I think we made it very clear our expectations about this platform where it would be used and in the right way and we are always raising concerns when we have them and that it’s true with all our security partners around the world.
“This is an important platform for security, particularly in the North and we are pleased the transaction is finally concluded.”
Because the jets could not be used against Bandits because they have been designated terrorists, the Service Chiefs have made recommendation to the President, Muhammadu Buhari for bandits to be designated as terrorists, so the planes could be deployed against them. The President has not responded to their request.
64 pilots and maintainers from the Nigerian Air Force were trained in the US by the US Air Force’s 81st Fighter Squadron at Moody Air Base in Georgia, United States to fly and maintain the jet.
