The US $593m (£460m) sale of 12 Super Tucano aircraft to Nigeria has gone ahead, the Reuters news agency reports saying that the Pentagon has let Congress know.
Nigeria wants the aircraft, which can be used for surveillance and attack, to help in the fight against Islamist militant group Boko Haram.
Nigeria’s vice-president has tweeted about the deal:
Both countries are working on a prompt repatriation of the funds.
We are thankful to the US Govt. for its decision to sell Super Tucano aircrafts to Nigeria to aid its fight against insurgency in the NE.
The sale was delayed by the Obama administration after a catastrophic incident involving the Nigerian military.
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.
US Air Force