[size =90]part one[/size]
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Nigeria troops will today arrive at a base of
the Economic Community of West African
States to join Senegalese soldiers to ensure
that President Yahya Jammeh of the Gambia
is ousted from office tomorrow.
Nigerian warship, NNS UNITY, is also heading
for the coast of The Gambia to join the
operation, the daily newspaper, The Punch has
reported.
The PUNCH Aproko said it learnt from a top
military source in the Nigerian Air Force that
the troops would be briefed by the Chief of Air
Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, in the
early hours of Wednesday, before leaving for
Senegal.
There was no official confirmation for the
report as the military had similarly denied a
memo ordering the formation of a battalion of
800 soldiers to join military operation in
Gambia.
The Defence Headquarters, Abuja, according to
the newspaper could not confirm the
deployments, adding that it was a matter
being coordinated by political leaders.
The Director, Defence Information, Brig. Gen.
Rabe Abubakar, said, “We should not drag the
Nigerian military into a political issue. What is
happening is a political discussion between
the ECOWAS leaders, aimed at solving a
political impasse in one of its member states.
“Whatever they agreed to do is what will
happen. Therefore, the military is not for any
engagement regarding Jammeh or any other
person for that matter.”
PUNCH Aproko further reported that apart
from the NAF and the Nigerian Navy, the
Nigerian Army would also contribute troops,
although the number of deployment could not
yet be ascertained as of the time of filing this
report.
According to a PUNCH Aproko source, some of
the NAF fighter jets were expected to airlift
the troops.
“I can confirm to you that men of the Air
Force will leave for Senegal tomorrow
(Wednesday). They will be briefed by the Chief
of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, at
the Kainji base in Niger State.
“That Nigeria is deploying troops is now a
certainty after several meetings with The
Gambian president yielded no result. The
Chiefs of Defence Staff of ECOWAS countries
came to Abuja on Saturday, where they
discussed what components each member
state is expected to contribute to the troops
that will force Yahya Jammeh out.
“The troops are expected to stay for two weeks
and they will be received at a base in
Senegal.”
Another military source added, “The NNS Unity
is currently sailing off the coast of Ghana,
after leaving from Lagos. It is not only
Nigeria. Senegal is the host country for the
troops, as it would be easy to launch an
attack from there.”
Adama Barrow of the opposition party won the
December 1, 2016, presidential election in
Gambia, but Jammeh, who initially conceded
defeat by congratulating Barrow, made a U-
turn a week later, saying he would challenge
the results.
Despite interventions by the African Union and
ECOWAS, Jammeh insisted he would not hand
over power to Barrow. On Tuesday, he
proclaimed a 90 day state of emergency and
had shut all private radio stations.
Adama Barrow himself is staying in Dakar
Senegal and has said he would be inaugurated
tomorrow in Banjul, the Gambian capital.
[color =blue]OUR UNRELIABLE APROKO[/color] reports the
Nigerian warship has been told to play a song
of Fela Kuti non stop as they head for
Gambia, the song goes thus "Trouble dey
sleep, yanga go wake am, wetin e dey find?
PALAVA!"
