‘America Let Nigeria Down in Fight Against Boko Haram’
Written by Laolu Akande, New York
Nigerian Guardian
NIGERIA has expressed dissatisfaction with the United States (U.S.) over its refusal to help it procure military weapons to strengthen combat against the Islamist terrorist group, Boko Haram, stating that the American Government let the nation down at its hour of need.
Speaking yesterday while receiving a delegation of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, Nigeria’s Ambassador to that country, Prof. Ade Adefuye, said that both the Nigerian people and government feel abandoned by America.
“I am sad to inform you that the Nigerian leadership - military and political, and even the general populace - are not satisfied with the scope, nature and content of the United States’ support to us in our struggle against terrorists,” he said.
“We find it difficult to understand how and why, in spite of the U.S. presence in Nigeria with their sophisticated military technology, Boko Haram is expanding and becoming more deadly.”
According to him, first, Nigeria had problems with the manner in which intelligence was being shared, and though the U.S. Government claims that the problem has been addressed, “it is still there.”
He regretted that for allegations of violations of human rights of Boko Haram suspects when captured or arrested as leveled against Nigerian security forces, “the U.S. has up till today refused to grant Nigeria’s request to purchase lethal equipment that would have brought down the terrorists within a short time.”
Worse still, the U.S. Government explained that it would not be selling military weapons to Nigeria due to human rights breaches by the Nigerian military. However, in his meeting with the Council on Foreign Relations, Adefuye dismissed the allegations.
He noted that Nigeria and the U.S. have had a long-standing and healthy relationship reinforced by existing economic and geo-political realities, but that in recent times, “Nigeria has had reasons to complain about the style, nature and manner with which some United States’ policies are implemented with particular reference to terrorism in Nigeria.”
Stating that the U.S. was the first to respond to Nigeria’s call for support against terrorists and has remained a major pillar in the struggle against terrorists, he said it was a sad commentary that right now, in spite of the country’s presence and help, Boko Haram was becoming more deadly.
He alleged that the U.S. might have been reacting to claims by media sympathetic to opposition parties, insisting that the allegations could not be substantiated as many of them were meant to “embarrass the government of President Goodluck Jonathan.”
Adefuye further emphasised that allegations of human rights violations were based on rumours, hear-says and exaggerated accounts of clashes between the Nigerian forces and Boko Haram members.
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| Kidnapped girls from Chibok, Borno State Nigeria. |
Nigerian Guardian
NIGERIA has expressed dissatisfaction with the United States (U.S.) over its refusal to help it procure military weapons to strengthen combat against the Islamist terrorist group, Boko Haram, stating that the American Government let the nation down at its hour of need.
Speaking yesterday while receiving a delegation of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, Nigeria’s Ambassador to that country, Prof. Ade Adefuye, said that both the Nigerian people and government feel abandoned by America.
“I am sad to inform you that the Nigerian leadership - military and political, and even the general populace - are not satisfied with the scope, nature and content of the United States’ support to us in our struggle against terrorists,” he said.
“We find it difficult to understand how and why, in spite of the U.S. presence in Nigeria with their sophisticated military technology, Boko Haram is expanding and becoming more deadly.”
According to him, first, Nigeria had problems with the manner in which intelligence was being shared, and though the U.S. Government claims that the problem has been addressed, “it is still there.”
He regretted that for allegations of violations of human rights of Boko Haram suspects when captured or arrested as leveled against Nigerian security forces, “the U.S. has up till today refused to grant Nigeria’s request to purchase lethal equipment that would have brought down the terrorists within a short time.”
Worse still, the U.S. Government explained that it would not be selling military weapons to Nigeria due to human rights breaches by the Nigerian military. However, in his meeting with the Council on Foreign Relations, Adefuye dismissed the allegations.
He noted that Nigeria and the U.S. have had a long-standing and healthy relationship reinforced by existing economic and geo-political realities, but that in recent times, “Nigeria has had reasons to complain about the style, nature and manner with which some United States’ policies are implemented with particular reference to terrorism in Nigeria.”
Stating that the U.S. was the first to respond to Nigeria’s call for support against terrorists and has remained a major pillar in the struggle against terrorists, he said it was a sad commentary that right now, in spite of the country’s presence and help, Boko Haram was becoming more deadly.
He alleged that the U.S. might have been reacting to claims by media sympathetic to opposition parties, insisting that the allegations could not be substantiated as many of them were meant to “embarrass the government of President Goodluck Jonathan.”
Adefuye further emphasised that allegations of human rights violations were based on rumours, hear-says and exaggerated accounts of clashes between the Nigerian forces and Boko Haram members.
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