Jordan on Tuesday donated 200 armoured fighting vehicles to Nigeria to support its fight against Book Haram insurgency.
The donation was made by King Abdullah II of Jordan to President Muhammad Buhari according to a statement by his spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, President Buhari thanked Abdullah for the gifts on Tuesday at the ongoing 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly in the United States.
Adesina said Buhari described the donation of 200 by Abdullah II as a reflection of his kingdom’s “true concern for Nigeria’s security situation and genuine goodwill towards a friendly nation”.
President Buhari also also reassured King Abdullah II of Nigeria’s commitment towards the proposed Aqaba Process with countries in the Middle East and Nigeria’s willingness to play a leading role in bringing West African into the collective security arrangement. The Jordanian monarch told President Buhari that his National Security Adviser will soon work out the finer details of the Aqaba Process with his Nigerian counterpart. It expected that the first Aqaba Process for Nigeria and sister countries within the sub-region with Jordan will be held in late November or early December 2017.
President Buhari equally pledged that Nigeria will continue to seek enhanced bilateral ties with Jordan. King Abdullah II, the statement added, had earlier informed President Buhari that the Jordanian government will open an embassy in Abuja in the next few months. President Buhari expressed delight and appreciation at the decision of the Jordanian government to open an embassy.
The President was accompanied to the bilateral meeting, the third of its kind since he came into office, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama; National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (retd.); and Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Professor Tijjani Bande.
