By Evelyn Usman

LAGOS— Minister of Defence,  Muhammad Dan-Ali, yesterday described as untrue, reports that the 24 Mine Resistant Armour Protected Vehicles, MRAP,s donated by the United States of  America  to help Nigeria in the fight against insurgency cost the receiving country $11 million to transport here.

Minister of Defence, Muhammad Dan-Ali

Rather, Dan-Alli clarified that the assessment of the cost was just an estimation given by the United States.

This is just as the Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Olonisakin, maintained that the military had succeeded in degrading insurgents in the north east, stating, however, that the only area to be tackled in the fight against terrorism was suicide bombings.

Meanwhile, Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos State has appealed to the Federal Government to reconsider soldiers sentenced to death and life in imprisonment respectively, pointing out that there was nothing they could have done in the state of inadequate weapons to match those of the terrorists.

The minister gave the clarification while inspecting the MRAPs at the Ikeja Cantonment, shortly after leaving the Logistics Command of the Nigerian Air Force, Ikeja, where he  commissioned five projects which, according to him, were geared towards boosting the morale of troops in their bid to rid the country of terrorism and other acts of criminality.

The minister, who  informed that the MRAPS needed some repairs, disclosed that an inspection team would be sent soon to access the vehicles, with a view to ascertaining which parts were needed for their repairs. Thereafter, he said they would be transported to the Armoured School in Bauchi,where  parts would be sourced from the manufacturers for onwards repairs towards their effective use.

Earlier at the Logistics Command, Ikeja, Dan-Alli commended the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, for actualising his vision for the Nigerian Air Force within a short period of time in office, noting that it was a clear demonstration of working in line with the tenets of the Federal Government on prudent management of scarce resources.

In his remarks, Chief of Defence  Staff, General  Olonisakin said the next phase in the fight against terrorists was suicide bombings and, therefore, called on Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of community policing by being on the look out for suicide bombers.

He said: ”Terrorism has been effectively degraded, that it can  not carry out coordinated actions any longer. The only area remaining to tackle is suicide bombers.”

On his part, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar commended the gallant officers and airmen who participated in the dislodgement of Boko Haram combatants from their stronghold in the north east, even as he lamented the loss of  those who paid the supreme price in the course of the war.