Foreign Mercenaries Not Keen To Assist Nigeria Fight Terrorism-Report

Foreign military contractors earlier engaged by Nigeria have vowed never to return, despite calls by North East Governors on the Federal Government to engage foreign mercenaries in exterminating Boko Haram terrorists in Sambisa forest and other insurgents’ enclaves.

PRNigeria reports that one of the facilitators of “Soldiers of Fortune, ” a mercenary group, bemoaned alleged humiliation persecution of foreign mercenaries along with their Nigerian counterparts who participated in insurgency operation after the emergence of the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The facilator whose name was not disclosed, was quoted to have said: “In fact, some of our covert operations and activities of operatives in Nigeria, including incurred casualties were exposed as working for mercenaries. Imagine that even highly classified and coded transactions for operational purposes were exposed as corruption.”

While noting that some payments for operations executed were still outstanding, he said, “It’s easier to confirm what we did because we were able to recover dozens of towns from Boko Haram from at least three states in North-East at the time. This is an open secret.”

He expressed regret and disappointment that some Nigerian military and intelligence officers who participated in the operation not only were they retired but prosecuted and convicted. He stated that the mercenaries find it difficult to work in a country where their operations, strategy and thinking are exposed to the media and judicial processes.

The secret agent confirmed that top government officials at federal and state levels are reaching out to them but reiterated their resolve not to come back.

In the wake of recent attack on Zabarmari community in Borno State, where at least 43 farmers were massacred by Boko Haram insurgents, Governor, Babagana Zulum had called on the Federal Government to engage foreign mercenaries to defeat Boko Haram.