The Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi (retd.), has said the rescue operation by the United States Army on Nigeria soil was not a violation of the country’s sovereignty.
He said the Nigeria government granted the US necessary permission to carry out the military operation.
The United States Special Military Force, over the weekend, successfully rescued an American citizen kidnapped by bandits in the northern part of Nigeria.
The minister, who spoke to journalists after he defended his ministry’s budget at the Senate on Tuesday, said Nigeria gave the permission to the US “as a friendly country.”
He ruled out theories that the US might have violated Nigeria’s sovereignty.
Magashi said, “There is nothing wrong with a friendly nation taking permission to conduct an operation which is for the mutual good of the countries. That is why we allowed it to happen.”
The minister stated that Nigeria would explore the current partnership with the US to tackle insurgency in the country.
On the need for the military to deploy sophisticated technology in the fight against insecurity, Magashi said Nigeria was handicapped by “some so-called developed countries, who wanted the country to keep running to them for help.”
The minister said, “It is natural. They want to sell their equipment so they will try to make it difficult for developing countries to have what they want.”
He, however, said the country was doing the best it could with what is available to the military.
– Punch