The United States has sold warplanes and weapons worth $593m to Nigeria.
Reuters reports that the Pentagon notified the US Congress on Monday of the sale to Nigeria of 12 Super Tucano A-29 planes and weapons.
The Super Tucano A-29, an agile, propeller-driven plane with reconnaissance and surveillance as well as attack capabilities, is made by Brazil’s Embrae.
According to Reuters, the move was announced by the Pentagon’s defense security cooperation agency.
The US had placed an embargo on arms sale to Nigeria owing to allegations of gross human right abuses against the military.
In 2014, the government of Barack Obama turned down entreaties by former President Goodluck Jonathan for the sale of arms needed to fight insurgency.
The US government couched its decision on the Leahy Law which prohibits the sale of weapons to countries with records of human rights abuses.
Critics also opposed the decision of administration of President Donald Trump to sell arms to Nigeria.
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