US Moves To Help Nigeria Identify Boko Haram Sponsors

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Following the incessant killings and kidnappings happening across the country, the United States on Monday expressed its readiness to help Nigeria identify Boko Haram’s sponsors and other terrorist groups wreaking havoc in the country.

The U.S Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Leonard disclosed this during a meeting held with newsmen in the nation’s capital, Abuja.

Responding to the question of what would the US do to help the country identify the sponsors of terrorism in the country, Leonard said, “That is something we are very eager to partner Nigeria on.

“I have had at least three conversations in the last two months on this subject. I won’t like to go into details.”

She dismissed the notion by some Nigerians that the relationship between Nigeria and the US would crash as happened in Afghanistan, stressing that the two countries have a strong bilateral relationship unlike that of Afghanistan.

She added, “I hear people making the analogy with Afghanistan a lot, it does not match up.

“When you listen to what President Biden said on how troops went to Afghanistan in the first place, it was because they were in a horrible tragedy, over 3,000 Americans were killed.

“That is a different construct. The sovereign nations have had strong bilateral relations. I don’t actually think the two match up.”

Also speaking, the Commander, US Air Forces in Europe, General Jeffrey Harrigian, told journalists that the purchase of Tucano fighter jets was an opportunity to cement the US relationship with Nigeria as well as curbing insecurity.

He said, “The A -29 Super Tucano gives us an opportunity to reconnect our relationship with Nigeria”.