Terrorism: 400 Military Personnel Depart For Russia

Latest reports inform that no fewer than 400 Nigerian security personnel have left Abuja for Russia where they are to undergo training as Special Forces to beef up the country’s fight against terrorism.

According to Vanguard report, the security personnel, made up of members of the Armed Forces, Police and Department of State Services, departed the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in a chattered aircraft at about 5pm on Sunday in company of Nigerian Security officers.

Also accompanying the military personnel are Russian instructors who had been in the country to be part of the initial selection process of the men and officers that would take part in the training.

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It was gathered that Federal Government’s decision to send the security personnel to the European country was necessitated by the slow response of Britain and the United States of America to train Nigerian security personnel to confront the Boko Haram terrorist group.

A source informed that the latest group of Nigerian security personnel are joining three batches of their colleagues who had earlier left for Russia for the training earlier this year.

It was gathered that the group would be in Russia for four months before they would return to Nigeria early next year to form a nucleus of Special Forces brigade that is to be set up by Nigerian armed forces and other security forces.

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Nigeria has been battling terrorism since the Islamist militants group, Boko Haram, started plotting terror attacks across Nigeria since 2009.

The insurgents are believed to have killed more than 5,000 people and made more than half a million to be displaced in northern Nigeria.