{"id":309778,"date":"2017-04-11T11:37:40","date_gmt":"2017-04-11T11:37:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=309778"},"modified":"2017-04-11T11:37:40","modified_gmt":"2017-04-11T11:37:40","slug":"trump-administration-to-sell-nigeria-planes-for-boko-haram-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/04\/trump-administration-to-sell-nigeria-planes-for-boko-haram-fight\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump administration ‘to sell Nigeria planes’ for Boko Haram fight"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Trump administration plans to sell fighter planes to Nigeria despite concerns over rights abuses and a botched air strike that killed scores of civilians in January, US media say.<\/p>\n
Up to a dozen A-29 Super Tucano aircraft would be sold to Nigeria to help fight Islamist militant group Boko Haram, unnamed US officials said.<\/p>\n
The deal, which is not yet official, will require approval from Congress.<\/p>\n
Boko Haram’s deadly insurgency has displaced more than two million people.<\/p>\n
The deal, said to be worth up to $600m (\u00a3490m), was agreed by the Obama administration, but was reportedly halted on the day it was due to be sent to Congress, after a catastrophic incident involving the Nigerian military.<\/p>\n
About 90 people, mainly women and children, were killed in January when the Nigerian Air Force mistakenly bombed a camp in the country’s north-east, which was hosting thousands of those who had fled Boko Haram.<\/p>\n
An aid distribution was taking place at the time of the attack, according to medical charity MSF.<\/p>\n