Boko Haram: Nigeria partners Sudan on weapons’ production

The Federal Government is set to partner Sudan in the local production of weapons in a bid to enhance the fight against Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East.
Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, who made this known while meeting his Sudanese counterpart, Awad Ibf Ouf, disclosed that a Memorandum of Understanding would soon be signed to strengthen the partnership.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence, Colonel Tukur Gusau, who was also on the trip to Sudan, said that Dan-Ali also inspected Nigerian troops under the United Nations peacekeeping operation in Darfur, South Sudan, urging them to be more dedicated.
He said, “A technical team from Nigeria is already in Sudan to work out the modalities. Very soon, the MoU would be signed.
“The minister inspected military vehicles’ production plants in Khartoum, after meeting the Vice President of the Military Industry Corporation of Sudan, Lt. Gen. Omar Albded. He also proceeded to the Sudanese arms production industry.

“The Director General of the Defence Industry Corporation of Nigeria, Maj. Gen. Bamidele Ogunkale, was also at the inspection. The minister met with the Chief of Joint Staff of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Gen. Emad Hassan on Wednesday. He afterwards visited the Nigerian troops deployed for the United Nations mission at their camp in the Nyala, Darfur region.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Air Force has said that its fighter jets had bombed an illegal oil storage facility situated between Ojekiri and Ngbae communities in the Niger Delta region.
The air force said the facility was sighted during a patrol mission conducted by one of its helicopters.
The NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Olatokunbo Adesanya, said, “During the armed reconnaissance, the NAF crew discovered a 60-metre long oil storage facility filled with stolen oil products, an illegal oil barge and some canoes with drums containing stolen oil products. The storage facility, oil barge and canoes were successfully attacked by the NAF helicopter and set ablaze.”