Nigerian government attacks Jonathan over Boko Haram weapons claim

The Nigerian government has said that whatever weapons that were procured by the Jonathan Administration for the military to prosecute the war against terrorism were substandard and could not have been responsible for the string of successes recorded by the military in recent times.

In a statement issued in Abeokuta on Monday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, described as “unfortunate and unsubstantiated” the statement credited to former President Goodluck Jonathan attributing the recent successes in the war to the weapons bought by his administration that were delivered after he had left office.

Mr. Jonathan tweeted about the weapons last week.

“The current administration continues to fight them with the weapons we acquired and collectively I am confident we will eradicate them,” he said referring to Boko Haram.

Mr. Mohammed said the present administration owes it a duty to put the record straight, especially because the issues raised by the former president are of public interest and borders on national security.

”The weapons, munitions and equipment which the former President said he bought were refurbished and lacked the basic components and spare parts. Additionally, the ammunition bought for both high calibre and small weapons have mostly expired, incompatible with weapons and grossly inadequate,” Mr. Mohammed said, according to a statement signed by his media aide, Segun Adeyemi.

”It is pertinent to state that the ammunition he was referring to were back loaded because they explode within the barrel when fired, thus leading to deaths and injuries among soldiers.”

Mr. Mohammed said that the troops also lacked the much-needed lift and operational vehicles and other equipment which they needed for an effective prosecution of the war, until the present Administration ameliorated the situation.

– Premium Times