The Nigerian Army has raised an army
battalion that would be deployed in
troubled Gambia to forcefully remove
President Yahya Jammeh from power if
he fails to step down on January 19,
PREMIUM TIMES can authoritatively
report today.
The battalion, christened ECOMOG
NIBATT 1, was drawn from the Army’s
19th Battalion based in Okitipupa, Ondo
State, military insiders have told
PREMIUM TIMES.
Personnel were also drawn from other
formations and units across the country
due to shortage of men at 19 Battalion
which has a significant chunk of its
troops deployed for internal security
task force, Operation Delta Safe.
This newspaper learnt that the Army
Headquarters has instructed the
nominated officers and men, put at over
800, to immediately report at the
Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Jaji,
for a crashed course on counter
terrorism and counter insurgency.
Our sources said Army Headquarters has
also instructed the Army directorates of
policy and plans; finance; and logistics
to ready funds, arms, ammunition and
other logistics for the operation.
The Armoured Corps is also working
hard to ready armoured vehicles needed
for the task, officials said.
There were suggestions by some of our
sources that the Nigerian Air Force and
the Navy might deploy men and
equipment for the operation as well.
Top military officers said the Nigerian
Battalion would be deployed in The
Gambia anytime after January 19 if
President Jammeh makes real his threat
not to step down after the expiration of
his tenure.
“This is an emergency operation, but we
are ready,” one officer said. “The
Nigerian Army is a strong, professional
fighting force battle ready at anytime.
We are so well structured that we can
deploy at the touch of a button.
“We did it in Liberian, Sierra Leone and
elsewhere. And Jammeh should know
that we are not a joking force. Once we
get the all clear from ECOWAS, the AU
and the UN to move in, we can pick him
up.”
The regional bloc, the Economic
Community of West African States
(ECOWAS), had on December 23 put
standby military forces on alert.
The ECOWAS Commission President,
Marcel de Souza, said Senegal, The
Gambia’s only territorial neighbour,
would lead any military operation in the
country.
Other West African countries will be
mandated to provide troops as well, Mr.
De Souza reportedly said.
Mr. Jammeh lost the December 1 2016
Gambia presidential election to
opposition candidate, Adama Barrow.
He initially accepted defeat and
congratulated Mr. Barrow but changed
his mind and decided to challenge the
outcome of the election.
He also vowed not to hand over to the
winner as expected on January 19.
On Thursday, Mr. Jammeh said he would
not step down before a Supreme Court
decision on the disputed election, the
BBC reported.
The President, the report said, insisted
his cabinet and the National Assembly
would remain in place until the Supreme
Court rules on his party’s petition.
There is currently shortage of judges in
the country to sit on the matter.
The case can only be heard in May if
Nigeria agrees to supply judges to the
Supreme Court.
West African leaders, led by President
Muhammadu Buhari, the chief mediator,
are travelling to Gambia on Friday to
persuade Mr. Jammeh to accept an
“honourable exit plan”.


http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/220259-exclusive-nigeria-raises-troops-gambia-ready-remove-yahya-jammeh.html

FTC, good

another money wasting adventure.

800 soldiers. I pray this guy hands over so that we won't waste resources removing him. Imagine the human, financial and time resources that this exercise would consume.

Nigeria have enough security and economic problems of her own why waste more money and men in Gambia?

Dc4life:

Senate should refuse any attempt by this northern president to sacrifice the lives of this poor innocent soldiers for his personal political ego. Has all other avenues of dialogue being explore? Why d haste in deploying troops to another sovereign entity, Gambia.. Leaving behind barrages of unprecedented killings by Fulani herdsmen n Boko haram in Nigeria.

Bros, I tire for presido ooooooo, he never comot wetin dey he eyes Na person own he wan comot........ their is God ooooooo....

But what is Nigeria's interest in Gambia? I see a hidden hand here