Nigeria takes delivery of last six Tucano jets

The Federal Government has taken delivery of the last batch of six A-29 Super Tucano fighter jets from the United States.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, disclosed this when he featured in a phone-in programme of Television Continental (TVC) on Monday in Abuja.

The federal government had in 2019 released funds for the purchase of 12 Super Tucano aircraft from the US in its bid to tackle the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East.

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) 22 took delivery of the first batch of six jets on July 22.

Mohammed said: “All the 12 Super Tucano fighter jets have been received. As of this morning, all the 12 were here and they have been deployed to the North-East.

“We can see that the Tucano jets are actually a game-changer.

“Most of the successes we have recorded in recent time is because of the acquisition of the new platforms, not limited to the Super Tucano.”

He also dismissed reports that NAF paid N20 million ransom to bandits in Katsina so that they would not bring down President Muhammadu Buhari’s aircraft whenever he visits his home state.

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

He added: “Fortunately, the Nigerian Air Force immediately debunked this because this exposes their ignorance.

“Between Zamfara, Katsina, parts of Kaduna and Niger States, there are about 150 bandit camps. Who then was the money given to?

“It does not make any sense and it is because they do not understand how bandits operate that is why they can peddle that kind of fake news.”

Mohammed expressed optimism that with the improved security situation in the North-East and North-Central zones, the nation would experience improved food security.

“If you observe what is happening of recent, you can see heightened activities in the agricultural area.

“This is because of the superior firepower of the military which is now making it possible for people to go to their farms, especially in the North-East.

“They have been able to put the criminals at bay,’’ he concluded.

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