Federal government on Thursday denied knowledge of any $875million ammunition deal with the United States of America which was reported by foreign media to have been delayed by lawmakers in US.
The refutal followed a report by Foreign Policy that highlighted how US lawmakers delayed a proposed sale of 12 AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters and accompanying defence systems to the Nigerian military.
Reuters which carried the report had quoted three sources as saying the deal was blocked over concerns about possible human rights abuses by the Federal Government.
But speaking on Friday in Abuja, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, described the ammunition deal reports as “fake news”.
Mohammed said there was no contract of such nature and sum between Nigeria and the US
“There is no contract of arms between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the United States of America today apart from the 12 Super Tucano Attack Helicopters of which six had been delivered.”
“We are quite satisfied with the progress and cooperation that we received from the government of the United States on this issue.
“As a matter of fact, six of the Tucano helicopter will be launched on August 3, this year, he added.
All efforts to get the Defence Headquarters either to confirm existence of such a contract or react to the story yesterday were not successful at the time of going to the press as calls were not return.