US military aircraft drops ammo in Borno

US Soldiers

No fewer than three United States military aircraft landed in Nigeria between Thursday and Friday, findings by Sunday PUNCH have revealed.

The aircraft, it was gathered, landed at military bases in Borno and other northeastern states.

Senior officers at the Defence Headquarters disclosed that the aircraft carried ammunition sent to Nigeria by the American government.

The officers, in separate interviews with our correspondents, said the development was part of US interventions to support Nigeria in the fight against insecurity.

“Following Nigeria-US bilateral talks on security, the American government will not only deploy soldiers but also provide necessary logistics, including ammunition, to fight the insurgents,” one of the officers who spoke on condition of anonymity said.

Another high ranking officer explained that the delivery was part of operational logistics, noting that the military often requires replenishment of ammunition after operations.

“I know that recently US aircraft came to supply ammunition for our platforms, and that wasn’t the first time. So, what you are saying may be true, though I have not been officially briefed.

“We go for operations and use different calibres of ammunition, which need to be replaced.

“The US and the Nigerian government, under the coordination of the NSA, are working together to end insecurity in the country. So, we should expect more deployments of aircraft and troops,” he added.

The New York Times on Saturday reported that US military aircraft landed in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Thursday night.

By Friday evening, the paper reported that three planes could be seen at the base, with equipment being offloaded from one.