By BASHIR ADEFAKA
The presence of some United Nations Peacekeeping fighting vehicles and equipment in Benin, Edo State Nigeria has been explained.
This explanation was made by Defence Headquarters in a statement signed by Acting Director Defence, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, and copy of which was sent to The DEFENDER on Wednesday.
This online newspaper reports that the military high command was reacting to some social media video clips being circulating images of the equipment, which resulted to insinuations inimical to public peace and caused panic among the populace.
According to the statement, “The Defence Headquarters hereby states that presently, Nigeria is contributing troops to various United Nations Peace keeping operations, the most recent is United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), Southern Sudan.
“The Mission is commanded by a Nigerian, Major General Benjamin Olufemi Sawyerr. It should be noted that the UN doesn’t have its own troops, rather it enters into agreement with troops contributing countries to provide their personnel and equipment for operations in its various missions.
“Therefore, it is imperative to state emphatically that the military fighting vehicles and equipment painted in UN colour as sighted are being moved through the Warri port for movement to the mission area in Southern Sudan to marry up with our troops who were inducted into UNISFA mission last month.
“The Defence Headquarters under the leadership of General Lucky Irabor CFR wish to assure Nigerians that our nation is not under any threat that will warrant the deployment of United Nations troops in our soil,” it said.
