The Nigerian government has said that reports making the rounds in some sections of the media that the United State government has stopped an ammunition deal with Nigeria as fake news.
The country’s Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who spoke with select journalist on Friday in Abuja, said there was no contract of such nature and sum between Nigeria and the US.
The Nigerian Government further put it on record that in the first place, there was no any $875 million ammunition deal with the US.
“There is no contract of arms between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the United States of America today apart from the 12 Super Tucano planes of which six had been delivered.
“We are quite satisfied with the progress and cooperation that we received from the government of the US on this issue. As a matter of fact, six of the Tucano will be launched on Aug. 3, this year. We are not aware of the so called 875million USD arms contract or some helicopters which they said some lawmakers in the US are trying to persuade the president of the US not to honour.”
The Minister stated that the relationship between Nigeria and the US is smooth and waxing stronger.
The reports in some sections of the media had claimed that influential U.S. lawmakers were masterminding a hold on a proposed sale of ammunition and attack helicopters to Nigeria over allegations of human rights abuses and anti-democratic actions of the present administration.
The report listed the blocked proposed sale to include 12 AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters accompanied by defence systems, 28 helicopter engines produced by GE Aviation and 14 military-grade aircraft navigation systems made by Honeywell.
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