The Nigerian government had deployed
thousands of troops to the three states after
President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of
emergency in their territories on May 14, 2013.
A top intelligence official, who declined to be
named due to the sensitive nature of the issue,
told Saturday PUNCH that US drones had been
spying on Boko Haram bases in the forests and
plains around Nigeria's borders with Niger, Chad
and Cameroon.
The source said this was part of assistance
provided by the US Government, in its bid to
destroy terror bases in West and North Africa.
The security official did not, however, give
further details of the spying mission as well as
other aspects of US military assistance to the
campaign against Boko Haram.
"Yes, it is true. We have got assistance from the
United States, including what you mentioned,"
he stated.
US President Barack Obama had in February
announced that 100 American troops were being
sent to the drone base in the Nigerien capital.
The drones had been deployed in missions
against Islamist extremists in Mali but may their
area of coverage may have now been extended to
cover Niger's border with Nigeria.
Nigerien President Issoufou Mahamadou had
told the Associated Press in January that his
government invited Washington to send
surveillance drones because he was worried that
the country might not be able to defend its
borders from Islamist fighters based in Mali,
Libya or Nigeria.
"We welcome the drones," Mahamadou said in
an interview at the presidential palace in
Niamey. Citing the "feeble capability" of many
west African militaries, he said Niger and its
neighbours desperately needed foreign help to
track the movements of guerrillas across the
Sahara and Sahel, an arid territorial belt that
covers much of the region.
"Our countries are like the blind leading the
blind," he said. "We rely on countries like France
and the United States. We need co-operation to
ensure our security."
The Predator drones in Niger are unarmed, US
officials said, though they have not ruled out
equipping the aircraft with Hellfire missiles in
the future.
The US Embassy in Niamey, Niger Republic did
not respond to an email on the matter.
When contacted, spokesman for Nigeria's
Defence Headquarters, Brig-Gen. Chris
Olukolade, denied any collaboration with the US
in the campaign.
He said, "This is solely a Nigerian planned
operation and we are doing it our own way. This
operation is our own and we are doing it in line
with best practices. It is Nigerian designed and
executed."
Meanwhile, Nigerian security agents may join
the ongoing investigation of two British men,
who hacked a soldier to death on Wednesday in
Woolwich, United Kingdom.
The two British-born suspects of Nigerian origin,
Michael Adebolajo, 28, and Michael Adebowale,
22, are under guard in hospitals after being shot
and arrested by police after the murder of 25-
year-old Afghan war veteran Lee Rigby on
Wednesday in Woolwich in broad daylight. They
have not yet been charged.
UK detectives are trying to determine whether
the suspects had links to militants in Britain or
overseas.
Sources familiar with the investigation have said
no sign has emerged so far of direct links
between the attack and the Boko Haram
insurgency.
British investigators are looking at information
that at least one of the suspects may have had an
interest in joining Somalia-based Islamist rebel
group al Shabaab, which is allied to al Qaeda and
Boko Haram, a source with knowledge of the
matter told Reuters.
A senior State Security Service official told one
of our correspondents on condition of
anonymity on Thursday that although a request
had yet to be received from UK authorities,
security agents would be ready to aid the
investigation of the alleged killer's possible links
to Boko Haram and other terror groups.
He said it was still early for such a request to be
sent to Nigeria but noted that the agency was
following developments on the matter closely.
Attempts to obtain comments from the SSS
spokesperson, Ms. Marilyn Ogar, were
unsuccessful as she did not respond to calls to
her phone.
Deputy Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank
Mba, asid, "We will not discuss that. Talk to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs."
Spokesman for the British High Commission,
Robert Fitzpatrick, declined to comment on the
matter. He said since British Prime Minister,
David Cameron, had issued a statement, there
was nothing more to add.
Also speaking, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
spokesman, Ogbole Ahmedu-Ode, said, "Those
two are of British nationals but of Nigerian
ancestry. I am not aware of any request from the
British Government on their roots in Nigeria."
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