Release our weapons to us, FG begs U.S

The Federal Government has pleaded with United States of America to release to Nigeria warfare weapons the country has paid for.

Lai Mohammed, Information Minister made the appeal while speaking at the News Agency of Nigeria Forum, today, in Abuja.

Mohammed said the military equipments paid for years ago were yet to be released to the country so as to assist it in the fight against Insecurity which is on the rise nationwide. In 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the withdrawal of $462million from the Excess Crude Account (ECA) without the consent of the National Assembly.

In a letter he later sent to the then leadership of the legislative arm headed by Bukola Saraki, the president said he committed the impeachable offence because the United States Government gave him a deadline which must be met if the country intends to purchase the 12 Super Tucano aircraft mapped out for sale.

Mr Mohammed who said the equipments paid for are yet to be released pleaded with the foreign country to let go of the weapons.

“For more than two to three years now, we have paid for certain vital weapons that they have not released to us and they even refused to give us spare parts,” the Information Minister said.

“I think our appeal to them is that they should please help Nigeria to provide us with these sensitive platforms so that we can fight insecurity more effectively,” he added.

Mohammed also urged the international communities to stop accusing the present administration of not doing much to tackle Insecurity.

“When the international community is weighed by unsubstantiated arguments to deny the country of vital platforms and weapons to fight insecurity, you cannot turn round to accuse the country of not fighting terrorism,” he said.

“To fight terrorists we need platforms and weapons. I want to use this opportunity to say that the international community can help us better than they are doing right now,” he added.