Soldiers to search
for Jammeh’s secret armoury Air Force and Naval
troops return
For now, Nigerian Army personnel deployed in
The Gambia two weeks ago, will remain there, even as President Adama Barrow
fully takes charge.
But Nigerian Air Force
(NAF) and the Nigerian Navy troops have since returned after completing their
mission in the tiny West African state whose former leader, Yahya Jammeh,
finally left after ECOWAS troops stormed the country.
Military sources say
the decision to keep the Army there may not be unconnected to a claim that
ousted Jammeh has a secret armoury.
The Army, it was
gathered, will help uncover the site and the details of the armoury.
A military source said
there are fears that the former leader may use the secret armoury to
hurt the Barrow administration.
Daily Sun
authoritatively gathered that the armoury of The Gambian Armed Forces has been
completely taken over by troops of the Nigerian Army for security reasons.
It was also gathered
that the Army headquarters have deployed over 1,500, soldiers to The Gambia as
part of the Economic Community of West African States Military Intervention in
The Gambia (ECOMIG)
Troops of the Navy and
NAF, who departed the country on January 19, 2017 are returning home having
completed their own part of the assignment. It was learnt that the air and
waterways had been certified to be safe, hence, the return of Naval and Air
Force officers in the country..
For now, sources say,
only the Army will be required as ground forces to take care of the situation
there. “However, should the Army call for the services of the NAF, the
authorities would not hesitate to deploy them in the shortest possible notice,”
the source said.
The Director, Defence
Information, Brigadier-General Abubakar Rabe, who confirmed the return of Navy
and Air Force personnel, said they have been redeployed, having completed their
mission in The Gambia.
Rabe noted that
military decision on troops deployed in The Gambia was solely that of the
ECOWAS Heads and Government. He said: “Since we have stabilised the place and
what we went there for has been achieved, I believe there won’t be any serious
need for anybody to remain.”
Opted from the sunnews
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