The Nigerian Army (NA) has started taking delivery of high grade armoured tanks and artillery vehicles from China to boost its fight against Boko Haram terrorists (BHTs) and other criminal elements in the country.
The arrival of the armaments coincided with the recovery of gun trucks, anti-aircraft guns and other weapons from fleeing terrorists by troops in Gamboru, Borno State
The armaments, which were built to specification by China Ordnance Industries Group Corporation Limited (Norinco), were ordered by the Federal Government..
Before the $152m contract was signed, the Chinese government accepted to guarantee the quality and timely delivery of the armaments, which are mostly intended for use in the Northeast, the hotbed of terrorism in the country.
Nigeria entered into the deal following the flexible maintenance policies and durability of the equipment China had supplied the Nigerian Navy (NN).
The Armoured tanks and artillery vehicles are equipped with latest technologies and have the ability to wage war from multiple fronts and cloudy or smoky weathers.
Nigeria, according to a military source, is the first country outside China to have the brand of the armoured vehicles built to each carry a minimum of 12 armed personnel.
Taking delivery of the armaments on Wednesday, NA’s Chief of Policy and Plans (CPPLANs), Lt.Gen. Lamidi Adeosun said Nigerians should expect more robust operations against Boko Haram and other forms of insecurity in the country.
He added: “The process of acquiring this has been on for some time, but thank God they are coming in now. From this, you can see how serious the Federal Government is in making sure that the Nigerian Army is not only equipped, but ready to contain the problem of insecurity we are having across the country. This is being tackled with trained personnel and required equipment.
“What you are seeing here is just a tip of the iceberg. Others are still coming, but it is very important that we all see that both the military and the government are really very serious to tackle the security problems across the nation.”
“The armaments were acquired from China. They are in different categories- heavy tanks, light tanks and we also have two types of artillery weapons, all from China. They have the latest technology in tanks and armament.
“The first set of 15 40-foot containers that were offloaded before today(yesterday) were made up of spare parts and accessories of all these equipment. Those ones are already out of the port and on their way to their destinations. Just as we are here, most of these ones will move to their respective destinations as well.
“Those who will operate them have been trained in China. If not for the lockdown occasioned by the COVID-19, some of their trainers would have joined us here to train more people.
“From the Army, expect more robust operation to put behind us the menace of insecurity, that of Boko Haram, bandits among others.”
As of the time Adeosun spoke, 17 vehicles had already been offloaded from the ships and mounted on flat belt trucks, including VT4 and ST1.
VT4 tanks, according to Wikipedia are new generation main battle weapons which has a range of over 500km. ST1 is a new generation light tank.
The Acting Director Defence Media Operations, Brig.-Gen. Benard Onyeuko, has said that troops of the 3 Battalion and the Quick Response Force Army Super Camp 11 in Gamboru overpowered Boko Haram fighters in a convoy of seven gun trucks and several motorcycles.
He said in a statement on Wednesday that the troops took control of three gun trucks, two anti aircraft guns, two AK 47 rifles, one HK 21 Rifle and one Rocket Propelled Grenade abandoned by the fleeing insurgents.
Onyeuko’s statement reads: ”In continuation with the ongoing robust/aggressive operations in the North East Theatre of Operation, the gallant troops of 3 Battalion/Quick Response Force Army Super Camp 11 Gamboru in Borno State on targeted patrol had yet another fierce encounter with some Boko Haram/ISWAP marauders in a convoy of seven gun trucks and many motorcycles approaching the Battalion’s location at about 1800 hours on the 7th of April 2020.”
