The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Leonard, has said that the US is willing to help in the identification of Boko Haram sponsors and other terrorist groups in the West African nation.
According to Leonard, what happened in Afghanistan could never happen in Nigeria.
The US Ambassador said this during a meeting with journalists in Abuja.
When asked what the US would 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 who 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”.
Terrorism in Nigeria has increased drastically since the begining of the year.
Chronicle NG reported how Boko Haram/ISWAP overran a local government in Borno state on Monday.
Bandits go as far as abducting and killing military officers. The latest incident of the attack on the Nigerian Defence Academy, Afaka, Kaduna state is still fresh in our minds as three officers were killed during the incident while one soldier who was abducted during the attack is still in captivity to date.
Despite the onslaught of civilians and servicemen, the Federal Government has welcomed the surrender of Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT), urging relatives of their victims to forgive them for peace to reign.
In a recent development, the Nigerian Army accepted the surrender of over 200 BHT fighters, among which was a chibok girl who was forcefully married to their leader.
Also among those who surrendered was the chief bomb-maker of the islamic sect, who begged Nigerians to accept him into the society.
Despite peaceful interventions by the Armed Forces of Nigeria and the government of Borno state, the North East and North West have continued to face ever-increasing security threats which has claimed thousands of lives.
