Abuja 5 Dec (ANA) - Nigeria has bought warplanes and helicopters from Russia and Pakistan following the refusal of the US to sell arms to the West African state, the Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar, has said. The purchase was aimed at boosting the military in its efforts to end the insurgency by militant Islamists in the north and oil militants in the south. The  warplanes and helicopters had been ordered, and were expected to arriive, Air Marshall Abubakar said. Despite appeals from President Muhammadu Buhari's government, the US has refused to lift its ban on the sale of weapons to Nigeria because of the military's alleged poor human rights record. More than 700 Nigerian troops were receiving training in the US, UK, Russia, Pakistan, South Africa and Egypt,  Air Marshall Abubakar said.(ANA)

FA/ANA/5 December 2016-----