LAGOS, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria's Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), Gen. Owoye Azazi, said on Sunday in Abuja that Nigeria was not against the establishment of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), according to the official News Agency of Nigeria on Monday.

    "The establishment of AFRICOM is a foregone conclusion, the only thing we can do is to ensure that the command did not do anything inimical to Nigeria's interest," Azazi said at a forum held in Nigerian capital Abuja on Sunday.

    "We want AFRICOM to work in our interest, but not against our interest. We cannot say that the U. S. should not have an Africa Command, but we can tell them what to do and what not to do in our place," Azazi said.

    On the capability of the Nigerian Armed Forces in the defense of the nation's territory, Azazi said that the military was always willing to protect the nation from both internal and external aggression.

    Azazi said that military's role in the Niger Delta was not to fight a war, but to protect national assets and also protect all law-abiding citizens and foreigners from vandalism and harassment.

    He said that Nigeria has a formidable military that had been exposed to various training programs and participated in peace-keeping missions across the globe.

    He called on the federal government to fully equip the military to enable it to discharge its responsibilities both in Nigeria and at mission areas effectively.

    According to local media reports, Nigeria had previously rejected a U.S. Africa Command to be located in Nigeria or in West Africa in a worry of U.S. involvement in national and regional affairs.