THE Federal Government said it would not engage foreign mercenaries in the fight against insecurity in the country.
The government said hiring foreign mercenaries to fight insecurity would not end the crisis.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, said this while hosting his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday, January 9.
He said Nigeria had a track record of successfully tackling insecurity, especially when backed by its allies.
The ICIR reports that Nigeria has consistently fought insecurity for over a decade. The crisis began with Boko Haram in the first decade of this century.
Boko Haram grew and was joined by the Islamic State – West African Province (ISWAP)
While the nation shuddered from the devastations, especially the human toll that accompanied the conflict, another deadly group widely known as bandits and Lakurawa surfaced.
Citizens from the country’s North have been more victims of the groups’ onslaughts.
Nigeria is also confronted by a faceless group called “unknown gunmen.” These weapon-wielding marauders unleash mayhem and kill at will. The country’s South-East has faced the worst attacks by this group.
Thousands of lives have been lost to insecurity in the country, with corresponding destruction of communities, loss of revenues and resources, infrastructures and displacements of millions across the country.
Addressing his guest, who was in Nigeria on an official visit, Tuggar maintained that Nigeria enjoyed good collaboration with China, adding that the partnership had yielded notable gains.
He expressed Nigeria’s readiness to work with China and produce military equipment to avoid reliance on foreign nations for supplies.
“Private military companies (mercenaries), as far as we are concerned, it doesn’t matter whether they’re from North, South, East, West. We don’t think it is going to provide the panacea. But when you work with us, then we’re able to lead others in solving the problem.
“Also, we want to work with countries like China in domesticating production of military equipment, both kinetic and non-kinetic. This is what we’re looking for so that we don’t have to go out looking to procure because of the delays and so many rules and regulations. We need to be able to produce locally,” the minister stated.
The Chinese minister said the strategic planning of President Xi Jinping and President Bola Tinubu, through the China-Nigeria relations, had achieved major outcomes.
The Chinese government also expressed delight over Nigeria’s plan to float panda bonds in the Asian nation through its currency swap policy.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance