It has been confirmed that a US drone worth $100m is under construction in Agadiz, a town in Niger Republic and it will serve as a strategic point for launching various attacks against terrorists in Nigeria, Libya and Mali. The interest shown by the US could be a direct indication on how far Nigeria's President Buhari is willing to take his fight against Book Haram. The efforts made by Buhari's government has earned international praises from US and has sparked speculations that this act triggered the military response made by the US. The construction of the drone is widely considered by many as the most important military construction effort the US has made in Africa, costing over $100.
“As the only country in the region willing to allow a US base for MQ-9 Reapers — a newer, larger, and potentially more lethal model than the vulnerable Predator drone — Niger has positioned itself to be the key regional hub for US military operations, with Agadez serving as the premier outpost for launching intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions against a plethora of terror groups,” The Intercept . “Remotely Piloted Aircraft presence in Africa supports operations against seven (Department of State)-designated foreign terrorist organisations.
“Moving operations to Agadez aligns persistent ISR to current and emerging threats over Niger and Chad, supports French regionalization and extends range to cover Libya and Nigeria.”
Though there were some concerns over the safety of citizens as this new weapon could have devastating effects on the northerners but a member of the American society of industrial security, Prof. Femi Adegbulu, told seersupdate that "there are two sets of drones, one for surveillance and the other for attacks. A reconnaissance drone is used for intelligence gathering, while the other kind of drone is used for attacks. There is no 100 percent accuracy in warfare. You lose lives, money, time, and resources. The
possibility of collateral damage cannot be ruled out, especially since Boko Haram terrorists are known to use humans as shields when attacked.”
Mike Ejiofor, a former director of the department of state services also expressed concerns about the drone's fire power which could endanger the lives of Nigeria citizens. His words “I am worried that the US military will be making such efforts to launch attacks against Boko Haram from outside Nigeria. If the US did not get the nod from the Federal Government to establish its drone base in the country, how could the US military launch attacks against Boko Haram from Niger Republic?”
However it may appear, this may be considered as the biggest improvement on the war against Boko Haram and we may have just turned the tide against this insurgence.
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