The Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi (retd), has disclosed that Nigeria granted the United States of America permission to carry out the military operation that led to the rescue of one of its citizens in Northern Nigeria.
Magashi said this when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Defence to defend the budget of the Ministry on Tuesday.
He said Nigeria gave permission to the United States as a friendly country almost as soon as it was contacted by the government.
The Minister ruled out theories that the United States might have violated Nigeria’s sovereignty.
Responding to questions on the need for the Nigerian military to deploy more of technology in the fight against insecurity, Magashi said Nigeria was handicapped at the moment by some “so-called developed countries who want the country to remain the way it is and keep running to them for help”.
He however said the country was doing the best it can with what is available to the military.
The Minister further said Nigeria will explore the current partnership with the United States to tackle insurgency in the country.
Reports at the weekend showed that the American, who was living in the village of Massalata near Birnin Konni in Niger Republic, was snatched from there by one of the many kidnap gangs based within Nigeria.
The United States security officials sought for Nigeria’s permission as soon as they got a report of the kidnap of their citizen in the border region between Nigeria and the Niger Republic, where incidents of cross border kidnaps have been previously reported.
The Americans got back to Nigerian security officials as soon as contact was made by the kidnappers who called the kidnapped person’s family with a Nigerian number.
The kidnappers were said to have demanded a huge ransom.
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