The Federal Government, on Thursday, said the training of Nigerian soldiers by the United States (US) security experts was cancelled due to some logistics.

The reasons include the withdrawal of some military equipment from the battlefield so that the American experts could use them to train the soldiers.

Speaking at a press briefing, the Coordinator of the National Information Centre, Mr Mike Omeri, noted that “Nigeria and America have strong military bilateral relation till date,” adding that “it’s still ongoing and strong.”

He, however, said the Nigerian soldiers had concluded two out of the three phases of the training.

The third phase, he said, had to do with a logistical components which the US did not provide, but, instead, relied on Nigerian military equipment, currently in use in the troubled states in the North-East.

The Federal Government also stressed the need for assistance from local hunters to combat terrorism, adding that it was as a result of citizens exercising their right to defend the nation.

The government said it would regulate the activities of the groups to ensure that they did not go out of their way on the long run.

Omeri said the government was willing to accept more volunteers to combat terrorism.

“That is the call we have always made. Whether they are hunters or civilian groups, they are Nigerians,” he said.

•Source: Nigerian Tribune. Photo shows Omeri.