Trump's plan to sell fighter jets to Nigeria advancing - Report

dimeji akinloye

April 12, 2017 8:30 AM

The deal is aimed at boosting the efforts of the Nigerian military in the fight against the extremist group, Boko Haram.

Nigerian Airforce Jet

Plans by the President

The paper, citing sources in the know, reported that the Trump government is going ahead with the deal that could be worth up to $600 million.

The Super Tucano A-29 aircraft, an agile, propeller-driven plane with reconnaissance and surveillance as well as attack capabilities, is among the possibly 12 aircrafts expected to be sold to Nigeria.

The report said that former president Barack Obama's administration originally agreed on the sale, but it was delayed after the Nigerian Air Force bombing accidentally bombed a refugee camp in Borno State in January - the airstrike reportedly killed 90 to 170 civilians.

"We’ve been told that the administration is going to go forward with that transaction," a congressional aide was quoted as saying.

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Trump has said he plans to go ahead with foreign defense sales delayed under Obama due to human rights concerns.

The report also cited a top military source in Abuja, who confirmed that the sale would go ahead, adding that it would also involve training, surveillance and military intelligence "to support ... the ongoing insurgency war."

dimeji akinloye