Maj. Gen. Henry Ayoola (retd.), a former Commander of the Special Task Force, Operation Safe Haven, during an interview with The Punch, stated that the CPC designation of Nigeria by the United States of America, should not be taken to mean something serious.
He was asked whether Nigeria needed US military intervention to address its terrorism challenges. He responded by asking rhetorically if, after battling the problem for 16 years, Nigerians still needed anyone to tell them that external help could be beneficial.
He noted that when private military contractors came from South Africa, they achieved remarkable results in a short time, emphasizing that military cooperation with another country was not a big deal. He explained that even the most advanced nations engage in such cooperation, citing that America itself collaborates with other nations in areas of military technology, operations, strategy, and tactics.
He gave the example of Israel, which, despite its own strengths, works closely with the United States in these areas, and also noted that European nations within NATO constantly collaborate and exchange knowledge. He stressed that no nation knows it all and that cooperating with another country that can supply what one does not yet have does not detract from national pride.
He illustrated his point with the 2020 rescue of Philip Walton on October 30, explaining that the weapons and technology deployed by the United States, including strategic satellites to track kidnappers’ phone calls and movements, were capabilities that Nigeria did not possess.
Further talking, he said, “Their aircraft landed several kilometres away to avoid detection and then advanced on foot, undetected, to rescue him. We don’t have that yet. America is far more technologically advanced.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day, we’re still developing. Even developed nations collaborate and share research on military capabilities, so what’s the big deal if we do the same.”
He stated that if Nigerians wanted to be prudent, they should thank God that their situation had attracted international, particularly American, attention, and that the United States was even willing to assist. He added that everyone would want insurgency, terrorism, and banditry to end in Nigeria, but cautioned that such help would not come at zero cost. View, More,
Explore More News By Using The Button.