Storm brews over South Africa’s military advisers in Nigeria

Posted by: Our Reporter in Featured, News 13 hours ago

•As ‘private military experts’ arrive to train Nigerian soldiers in counter-terrorism
•Pretoria threatens to arrest them on return home

Nigeria and South Africa may be heading towards a fresh diplomatic row after about 100 South African ‘private military experts’ arrived Abuja to train Nigerian soldiers on how to confront the Boko Haram terrorism.
The South African government is opposed to the arrangement, calling the ‘military experts’ mercenaries.
It threatened to arrest them on returning home.
Nigeria is playing down the invitation of the South Africans, many of whom are believed to have worked for the defunct apartheid government to hunt down black freedom fighters.
Spokesman for the Defence Headquarters, Major General Chris Olukolade said during the week that : “It is well known that terrorism being an international and trans/cross border menace calls for the involvement of all well meaning countries all over the world.”
The South African Minister for International Relations and Co-operation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, speaking to journalists on the sideline of the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia expressed dismay at the involvement of her compatriots in the deal.
“We always discourage South Africans to enter the fray in a situation like that,” she said.
The brewing face-off is coming on the heels of the September 2014 seizure by South Africa of a total of $15million cash belonging to the federal government.
The money was ostensibly for the purchase of arms from the open market to fight the Boko Haram insurgency.
The first tranche of $9.3 million cash was confiscated from two Nigerians and an Israeli who flew into South Africa in a jet owned by a Nigerian clergy.
The men landed at Lanseria International Airport, Johannesburg, on September 5 in a private jet from Abuja with the money stashed in three suitcases.
At the time, the South Africa Revenue Service (SARS), said customs officers became suspicious when the passengers’ luggage were unloaded and put through the scanners.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), in South Africa said there was an invoice for helicopters and armaments intended to be used in Nigeria.
The second tranche of $5.7 million was seized three weeks later.
Under South African laws, a person entering or leaving the country is expected to carry cash not exceeding US$2,300, or the equivalent in foreign currency notes.
Nigeria responded at the time that it had to turn to South Africa after the Western countries refused to sell arms to it, on the grounds of human rights abuse.
Government has since succeeded in getting some of the required arms from Czech Republic.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Adamawa in this month’s election, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu says Nigeria was “desperate” for military supplies and had to turn to the black market because Western governments were unwilling to help.
“The world might regard this as illegal, but we were being stopped from getting help and our people were being slaughtered,” Mr. Ribadu told The Globe and Mail of Canada
“We were being wiped out, and the world didn’t give a damn. Nigeria was forced into the black market.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/storm-brews-south-africas-military-advisers-nigeria/

Ok. We are watch in 4D.

Jonathan has really messed this con3. Who is SA to humble our military on expertise military training ? Jonathan is executing a Set agenda against d nigerian military in case of any fisticuffs in d nigeri delta. D militants as reportedly bn issued license to move in ammunitions at will. Jst justify dis allegation, in nt too long tym, tompolo was said to hv shipped in six warships into d con3 for watever dats meant for, nt for peace. So Jonathan is on a mission which is to weaken d Nigeria military for advantage on d path of his conspiracy.

Come febuhari pls!

Smh

It is always the shameless easy way out for these incompetent dolts. Nigeria has always had it bad but not this bad.
This is another level of "badness".
A total breakdown in authority and governance.
I remember this president retiring more senior and experienced generals(who cut their teeth in Liberia and Sierra leone) just to put member of his clan as chief of army staff. Just looking at how overweight they are ,say it all .
Why waste money training these dolts in the first place?

jayonpoint:
Jonathan has really messed this con3. Who is SA to humble our military on expertise military training ? Jonathan is executing a Set agenda against d nigerian military in case of any fisticuffs in d nigeri delta. D militants as reportedly bn issued license to move in ammunitions at will. Jst justify dis allegation, in nt too long tym, tompolo was said to hv shipped in six warships into d con3 for watever dats meant for, nt for peace. So Jonathan is on a mission which is to weaken d Nigeria military for advantage on d path of his conspiracy.

Come febuhari pls!

are you getting ready to kill the south south people?
that your plan no go work.
you will fall into the pit you are digging.
this boko haram thing never make you get sense.
instead you are planning on more killing.

I believe we know the real enemies of Our great country Nigeria, alots of external influences to bring this country to it feet at work, but God surpasses them all.
The worst of it all, the United state collide with other nations to gang up against our Government using silly excuses of human right violation e.t.c to frustrate the Government making ridicule of our Arm forces, which indirectly they do support Boko Haram terrorists to gain ground on our territory and carryout various atrocities and man slaughter within the Northern region to destabilise our Nation.
Are they telling us that Boko Haram menace is justified?
Nigerians, is time we all come together to love, and tolerant each other no matter our religion, tribe, political party etc no matter the differences let fight Boko Haram same way we all fought Ebola virus.
The truth most be told, those counties that are frustrating the Government and Arm forces to bring Boko Haram to their knees, they dont love us, they wish for our disintegration.

9ja Unit, we. Dont have another home like ours.
So many envies around us.

One love.