The United States Department of Defence has informed the US Congress that it sold 12 Super Tucano A-29 ground attack aircraft and weapons to Nigeria to fight Boko Haram, Reuters reports.

It reported that the Pentagon communicated the sale of the 12 ground attack aircraft valued at $593m (N181bn) to the US Congress on Monday.

US officials had said the Congress was  expected to receive formal notification within weeks.

They added that the arrangement would call for Nigeria purchasing up to 12 Embraer A-29 Super Tucano aircraft with sophisticated targeting gear valued at $600m.

The United States had earlier declined to sell weapons to Nigeria and block an attempt to acquire the Super Tucano ground attack aircraft from Brazil.

This was due to allegations of human rights violations against the Nigerian military.

The allegations of rights violation made the US to block the move of the Nigerian Air Force to acquire the Super Tucano.

However, indications emerged in August 2015 when US Congressman Darrel Isah disclosed shortly after a meeting with service chiefs in the country in August 2015 that the US had commenced the process of relaxing the embargo on military assistance to the country under the Leahy Law.

Azeez