The Russian Government has expressed its
willingness to share with Nigeria the new strategies it has developed to
support the country’s fight against terrorism.
This is contained in a statement by the Director of
Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau, on Monday in Abuja.
He said Lt.-Gen. Andrei Averianov, Russian envoy, made
the pledge on Monday, when he paid a courtesy visit to the Chief of Defence
Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa in Abuja.
Gusau said that Averianov said Russia was engaged in
special operations in 39 countries, during which she developed new methods, and
was willing to share them with Nigeria to support the fight against terrorism.
He said it had been 80 years since Russia fought
Nazism, adding that the security landscape had however, evolved, with
asymmetric threats such as Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram now emerging.
Gusau said the head of the Russian delegation
expressed Russia’s delight for being part of the fight to create a more secure
environment for future generations in Nigeria.
He pledged Russia’s support to Nigeria in its fight
against terrorism, while recognising Nigeria’s significance as a major
stakeholder and power in the region.
According to him, Russia has been observing and
learning from Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts over the years, Gusau
attributed the envoy as saying.
“As brothers in arms, we are ready to assist,
particularly with the provision of the full range of weapons required by the
Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) to prosecute its war on terror,” he said.
Gusau said that responding, the CDS welcomed the
delegation on behalf of President Bola Tinubu and the members of the Nigerian
military.
Musa said that both Russia and Nigeria were undergoing
challenging times, resulting in the loss of personnel and necessitating the
conduct of special operations.
According to him, Musa thanked the delegation for the
support from the Russian Federation.
Musa, he said, noted that Russia and Nigeria had long
enjoyed strong ties, emphasising the need for continued partnerships in the
areas of training and operations.
The CDS further emphasised the importance of
exchanging instructors and students between the two countries for trainings.
“For the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force, there is
the need to expand training in Special Operations and provision of requisite
equipment, special boats, fast attack craft and amphibious training.
“Others include the need for assistance in the
maintenance of Russian platforms and the provision of air surveillance,
respectively,” he said.
Gusau further quoted the defence chief as stressing
that Nigeria had several Russian-made platforms that were currently
unserviceable.
He requested support through the provision of spare
parts and the deployment of Russian experts for in-country maintenance or
arrangements for backloading such equipment to Russia for repairs.
Musa appealed for enhanced intelligence sharing from
Russia to Nigeria, noting that the Russians had gained valuable experience and
capacity from their extended operations, particularly in the Sahel region.
He said that Musa also thanked the delegation for
their gesture for personally delivering equipment and providing a team of
experts to assist in their testing.
The CDS added that the Russian Federation had
fulfilled its commitment to Nigeria as promised,” Gusau said.
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