Nigerian warship heads toward Gambia in show of force

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - Nigeria has confirmed that its warship NNS Unity is headed toward Gambia but downplayed reports the deployment was meant to ease out the country's dictator Yahya Jammeh whose term expires on Thursday.

"NNS Unity has proceeded to Gambia on a training exercise," Capt. Suleiman Dahun, spokesman of the Nigerian Navy, told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday without giving further details.

Confirmation that the warship has proceeded to Banjul comes amid media reports of the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) forming an ad-hoc army to oust Jammeh who has shunned diplomatic efforts for him to step down following his defeat in the December presidential election. The election was won by opposition leader Adama Barrow.

Nigerian defense sources told Anadolu Agency that "skeletal troops drawn from across the armed services" are also being deployed by Abuja to join their colleagues from Senegal, Ghana and Liberia.

It is not clear how the military forces will operate but the deployment appears to confirm ECOWAS's position to uphold election results.

In a Tuesday statement reacting to Jammeh's appeal of the election outcome, the chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said that the "constitution of The Gambia must be respected amid President Jammeh’s appeal to the sub-regional body".

On Tuesday, Jammeh declared a 90-day state of emergency, a couple of days before Adama Barrow is supposed to be sworn in.