Deployment of Tucano jets making the difference in fight against terrorism – Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said on Sunday the deployment of the A-29 Super Tucano fighter jets the Federal Government procured from the United States has changed the tide in the fight against terror in Nigeria.

The minister disclosed this at a forum in Abuja.

The federal government has taken delivery of 10 out of the 12 A-29 Super Tucano fighter jets from the US.

He said: “As of today, we have 10 of the jets on ground and the remaining two, I think should be delivered in the next two weeks or so.

“The introduction of these platforms had made a whole lot of difference and changed the dynamics of the war.”

According to him, the deployment of the jets contributed immensely to the successes being recorded in the fight against Boko Haram terrorists who were surrendering in droves in the North-East.

Mohammed added: “In addition to the non-kinetic measures taken against bandits in the North-West and other troubled states, the platforms had also helped in neutralising criminals.

READ ALSO: Six Super Tucano jets arrive Nigeria

“When these people surrender, it is either they are over-powered, they are starved of their operations or it has become impossible for them to carry out their dastardly acts.

“They do not just surrender voluntarily. It is just that our media are not doing what they ought to be doing.

“What is expected of them is to probe that since the introduction of the Super Tucano, how many bandits have been killed, how many terrorists have surrendered?’’

On when Nigeria will buy more fighter jets, Mohammed said the jets were high-grade weapons that could not be bought off the shelves.

“People have forgotten that under former President Barrack Obama, the US denied Nigeria these Super Tucanos.

“A lot of diplomacies went on before we got these ones,” he concluded.

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