The Minister of Defence, Muhammed Badaru, says Nigeria will strengthen her bilateral relationship with the United Kingdom (UK) to combat insecurity.

Mr Badaru said this when a UK delegation led by the Minister for Armed Forces and Veterans, James Heappey, paid him a courtesy visit in his office.

A statement on Thursday by Victoria Agba-Attah, the ministry’s spokesperson, quoted Mr Badaru as saying Britain had been supportive in ensuring the safety of Nigerian waterways.

The minister stressed that security was a dynamic issue which had its challenges.

He added that the Nigerian and British Military have to work together to combat the Boko Haram threat and stressed that the West needed to support Nigeria more.

Similarly, in his remarks, the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, said Nigeria and the UK have had a good bilateral relationship.

Mr Matawalle reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to ending insurgency and banditry in the country.

He added that both countries needed to work closely in areas of capacity building, training of military personnel, technology transfer, and the provision of modern equipment to fight Boko Haram.

Earlier in his opening remarks, Ibrahim Kana, permanent secretary in the ministry, said Britain topped the list of Nigeria’s international friends.

Mr Heappey, earlier in his remarks, said the purpose of their visit was to adjust and expand their support to the Armed Forces of Nigeria based on the needs and perception of the changing threats.

(NAN)