Counter-terrorism: Russia to support Nigeria with arms, intelligence – Envoy

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, Tukur Gusau, on Monday in Abuja.

He said Andrei Averianov, a Russian envoy, made the pledge on Monday, when he paid a courtesy visit to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Christopher Musa, in Abuja.

Mr Gusau, a brigadier general, quoted Mr Averianov, a lieutenant general, as saying 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.

Mr Gusau said the head of the Russian delegation expressed Russia’s delight at 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.

“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,” the Russian general reportedly said.

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Mr Gusau said that responding, the CDS welcomed the delegation on behalf of President Bola Tinubu and the members of the Nigerian military.

Mr 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, Mr Musa thanked the delegation for the support from the Russian Federation.

Mr 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.

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Mr 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.

Mr 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 Mr Musa also thanked the delegation for their gesture of 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.

(NAN)