By John Paul
With the Nigerian military struggling to contain the activities of rampaging insurgents, Russia has promised to assist the country in the areas of spare parts, technical teams, and intelligence collaboration to tackle rising terrorism and insurgency.
Russia also announced plans to assist Nigeria with cutting-edge counter-terrorism strategies, sophisticated weaponry, and elite tactical training to tackle Boko Haram and other insurgency groups threatening the security of the country.
Russia made these commitments in a high profile meeting in Abuja between Russia envoy, Lt.-Gen. Andrei Averianov and Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa.
In a statement, Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau, quoted the envoy as saying Russia is engaged in special operations in 39 countries, during which time it has developed new methods it is willing to share with Nigeria to support the fight against terrorism.
He said it had been 80 years since Russia fought Nazism, adding that the security landscape had however, evolved, with asymmetric threats such as Al-Qaeda and Boko Haram now emerging.
He added that the head of the Russian delegation expressed Russia’s delight for being part of the fight to create a more secure environment for future generations in Nigeria, and recognised Nigeria’s significance as a major stakeholder and power in the region.
According to him, Russia has been observing and learning from Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts over the years, Gusau quoted the envoy as saying.