The Nigerian Air Force said it had deployed troops in the Gambia, amid reports that the vice president of the tiny West African country, Isatou Nji-Saidy, has resigned from the government of embattled President Yahya Jammeh.
Her resignation is following the resignation of several key members of Jammeh’s government, including several cabinet ministers.
The air force, in a statement on its Facebook page, said the troops are a component of the Nigerian contingent of Economic Community of West African States Military Intervention in Gambia (ECOMIG).
The troops, led by Air, Cmdr. Tajudeen Yusuf, were deployed in Dakar, on Tuesday.
The statement read: “A contingent of 200 men and air assets comprising fighter jets, transport aircraft, Light Utility Helicopter as well as Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft” were deployed and are expected to “forestall hostilities or breakdown of law and order that may result from the current political impasse in The Gambia”.
President Jammeh announced a state of emergency on January 17, ahead of his expected hand-over of power to President-elect, Adama Barrow, on January 19.
Jammeh has insisted that he will remain in power pending the determination of his appeal against the result of the presidential election conducted by his own government, while the country’s national assembly also passed a resolution, on Tuesday, extending his tenure by three months.
Jammeh has consistently rebuffed calls by ECOWAS to step down voluntarily and allow for peaceful transition of power.
The BBC also reported that Senegalese troops have been deployed close to the Gambian border in anticipation of command.
President Jammeh 