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From Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) said that the first batch of six A-29 Super Tucano aircraft have departed the U.S. en route Nigeria.
The Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, Air Commodore Edward Gabkwet, made the disclosure in a statement, yesterday, in Abuja.
Gabkwet said the six aircraft will be leapfrogged through five countries, which include Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Algeria before arriving in Nigeria towards the end of this month.
The director noted that the official induction ceremony of the aircraft into the inventory of NAF is being planned at a later date in August.
He said that his office remained open to any inquiry regarding the arrival and induction of the aircraft.
The A-29 Super Tucano is designed and built for the counter-insurgency mission in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Defence headquarters said its troops have successfully blocked the routes through which illegal weapons were supplied across the country.
It added that troops of the various operations have continued to subdue banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities in the North West and North Central parts of the country.
The Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brig.-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, made the disclosure while briefing journalists on the operations of the military across the country, yesterday, in Abuja.
Onyeuko said the land and air components of Operation Hadarin Daji, conducted successful simultaneous operations at different locations in Zamfara, Katsina, Niger and Kaduna States between July 2 and July 14.
He said the troops conducted a series of ambushes, clearance as well as cordon and search operations in different locations during the period.
He disclosed that in each encounter, troops engaged and subdued the criminals and recovered several livestock as well as arms and ammunition, including AK-47 rifles, locally made pistols, Dane guns and several rounds of 7.62mm ammunition.
