US Military Aid Free, Doesn’t Threaten Nigeria’s Sovereignty – DHQ
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US Military Aid Free, Doesn’t Threaten Nigeria’s Sovereignty – DHQ
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Defence Headquarters, DHQ has said military assistance from the United States to Nigeria is being provided at no cost and does not in any way undermine the nation’s sovereignty.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, stated this on Friday while briefing journalists in Abuja on ongoing operations by the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
INCNews247 recalls that Defence Headquarters had on February 16 confirmed the arrival of about 100 US military personnel and equipment in the country, following deliberations between Nigerian and American officials during a bilateral working group engagement.
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Addressing public concerns over the presence of foreign troops, Onoja said the collaboration was strictly for training and capacity-building to boost Nigeria’s counter-terrorism campaign.
“The American government is interested in combating terrorism, and the assistance rendered to Nigeria comes at no cost,” he said.
He stressed that Nigeria’s territorial integrity remains intact, dismissing insinuations that the deployment could compromise national sovereignty.
“Our sovereignty is intact. Our territorial integrity is intact. Nobody is giving away our sovereignty.
“There is no basis for concern. We go for training abroad all the time. This is simply a training programme,” he added.
The defence spokesman noted that the partnership had already begun to yield operational gains within the last two months, expressing optimism that more results would be recorded in the coming weeks.
He urged Nigerians to focus on the value the partnership adds to ongoing operations rather than the number of foreign personnel in the country.
