Military denies hiring mercenaries to fight Boko Haram

The defence headquarters has denied hiring mercenaries from South Africa to join the battle against insurgency in order to meet the December target of stamping out the activities of Boko Haram.

Quoting military sources, Anadolu, a Turkish news agency, reported that Nigeria had hired about 250 mercenaries from South Africa-based private contractor, Specialized Tasks, Training, Equipment and Protection (STTEP).

But Rabe Abubakar, acting defence spokesman, said the military has what it takes enough personnel to prosecute the war against the insurgents, saying the report was “out to rubbish the productive efforts of the security agencies”.

“The insinuation and the entire story are utterly scurrilous and a calculated attempt to smear the good image of the Nigerian military,” Abubakar said in a statement.

“The orchestrated campaign is aimed at rubbishing the efforts of the Nigerian armed forces and other security agencies who are working hard to contain the insurgency in the north-east.

“The military has significantly up-scaled its troops and equipment deployment since the presidential mandate and does not need mercenaries whether foreign or local to rout out and put an effective end to guerrilla movements in the north-east within the allotted time.

“Since the presidential order, the military has been fighting the insurgents more and more effectively and all Nigerians, irrespective of where they live, have come to understand that we are making progress.”