By Abiola Olawale
The United States has reportedly delivered a significant shipment of military ammunition to Nigeria, bolstering the nation’s ongoing counter-insurgency efforts against groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP.
The delivery, which reportedly occurred over recent days with multiple US military aircraft landing in northeastern states, marks a key escalation in US-Nigeria security cooperation amid renewed bilateral talks on combating terrorism.
According to reports, no fewer than three US military transport planes arrived between Thursday and Friday, touching down at bases in Borno and other northeastern locations.
It was gathered that the aircraft carried ammunition supplied by the American government to support Nigerian forces.
The shipments are said to be part of a broader security partnership, following recent high-level discussions between the two nations.
“Following Nigeria-US bilateral talks on security, the American government will not only deploy soldiers but also provide necessary logistics, including ammunition, to fight the insurgents,” a security officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said.
Another high-ranking officer explained that the delivery was part of operational logistics, noting that the military often requires replenishment of ammunition after operations.
“I know that recently US aircraft came to supply ammunition for our platforms, and that wasn’t the first time. So, what you are saying may be true, though I have not been officially briefed.
“We go for operations and use different calibres of ammunition, which need to be replaced.
“The US and the Nigerian government, under the coordination of the NSA, are working together to end insecurity in the country. So, we should expect more deployments of aircraft and troops,” he added.
Also, the New York Times on Saturday reported that US military aircraft landed in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Thursday night.
By Friday evening, the paper reported that three planes could be seen at the base, with equipment being offloaded from one.
“These initial flights are the vanguard of what will be a stream of C-17 transport flights into three main locations across Nigeria,” a US Department of Defense official told the newspaper.
