Insecurity: Rep defence committee, minister in closed-door meeting

The Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi, is meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Defence behind closed-door.

The meeting is on the defence agreement between Nigeria and Russia which was announced in August.

The Nigerian embassy in Moscow had announced the pact on the 21 August.

According to the report, the military agreement consists of training of personnel, supply of equipment and after-sales services.

In 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari at the Russia-Africa summit in Sochi Russia, harped on the need for stronger ties between Nigeria and Russia in the areas of defence against the Boko Haram insurgents.

At the hearing on Tuesday, the Chairman of the Committee, Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos), said the meeting seeks to shed light on the implication of the agreement on National Security.

“The minister is here today to brief us on the technical agreement between the Russian Federation and the Nigerian government, and its implication on banditry, insurgency and national security in general,”

As usual, the committee decided to discuss the agreement behind a closed door.

“We will need to excuse you now because some of the details may be of top national importance and we may not want them to cascade into the press,” he said.

NDA attack

Earlier, the Committee also met with the Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Ibrahim Yusuf, on the recent attack at the institution, which resulted in the death of some personnel of the Nigerian Army.

247NNU had reported how the attackers gained entrance into the academy.

The session was also held behind a closed door