The present administration has reportedly hired mercenaries to support the troops of the Nigerian military in combating insurgent group, Boko Haram.
A Turkish news agency -Anadolu Agency- reports that 250 mercenaries have been contracted from a South Africa-based private contractor, Specialized Tasks, Training, Equipment and Protection (STTEP).
Vanguard reports that a source at the Nigeria Defence Headquarters revealed that the mercenaries are being deployed alongside fighter jets in ‘Operation Fire Force’.
“The mercenaries have been reengaged and their platforms are being deployed. By platforms, I mean fighter jets, helos [helicopters], coms [communication], surveillance, medics, etc,” the source said.
The source, who was quoted to have spoken on the condition of anonymity, added that: “There is definitely something happening in that direction.”
The Defence HQ source stated that the use of mercenaries is the most practical option if the Army hopes to make serious progress in the war against Boko Haram.
During the March 2015 election campaign, President Muhammadu Buhari had criticised the hiring of mercenaries to fight on Nigerian soil, arguing that it depicted the Nigerian Army as being weak.
While the hiring of mercenaries may seem far fetched, many believe that President Muhammadu Buhari’s December deadline to the military to end insurgency in the north-east, may have necessitated the move.
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