Nigeria deploys troops and foreign jets to Gambia

Some of the 200 men deployed by the Nigerian Air Force to Senegal yesterday as part of a standby force to enforce the December 1, 2016 election mandate in Gambia.

In a bid to enforce The Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) mandate in Gambia to enforce the December 1, 2016 election result in that country,  The Nigerian Air Force yesterday deployed troops and fighter jets to Gambia.

This is just as Senegal’s forces at the Gambian border gave Yahya Jammeh a midnight ultimatum to relinquish power.

 The Air Force contingent for the Gambia operation were air lifted from the 117 Air Combat Training Group Kainji, in Niger state, to be on standby in Dakar, Senegal.

The troops airlifted in an Hercules C-130 transport plane included; Combat Support Group, Technicians, Special Forces, and Medical personnel.

Other platforms also deployed to the Gambia are: fighter jets, helicopters gunships, and a Hercules C-130 among others.

The Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar while addressing the troops tasked them to be of professional conduct as they go about their duties.

Speaking to Journalists, Abubakar said: “They have been given the task which is very well defined, and we have put together all the air assets that we think are necessary to ensure that we are able to successfully conduct this operation and that is what we have on ground here.”

He said: “What we have here are men that are highly trained, highly skilled, they know their job and they know their task.”

Daily Trust gathered that Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal are contributing troops with Dakar as the anchor point where they would be on standby until the diplomatic options to oust Yahya Jammeh are exhausted.

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