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Nigeria asks for more US assistance over Boko Haram

Saturday, 14 February 2015 7:05 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 14 February 2015 7:05 PM ]

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan (© AFP)

Nigeria has requested that the US deploy combat forces to the African country to help it fight Takfiri Boko Haram militants.

Speaking in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, which was published in Friday, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said, “Are they (US forces) not fighting ISIS (ISIL)? Why can’t they come to Nigeria?”

“They are our friends. If Nigeria has a problem, then I expect the US to come and assist us.” Jonathan added.

Boko Haram controls large parts of northeastern Nigeria and says its goal is to overthrow the Nigerian government.

Washington has accused the Nigerian government of downplaying the threat posed by Boko Haram.

US officials have also slammed Nigeria’s slow response to the April 2014 abduction of 276 girls from their secondary school in the northeastern Nigerian town of Chibok.

The US deployed drones as well as intelligence and surveillance specialists to Nigeria in a bid to locate the whereabouts of the kidnapped school girls but to no avail.

During a visit to Nigeria last month, US Secretary of State John Kerry vowed that Washington would be “prepared to do more” in the fight against the militants. However, Nigeria’s Ambassador to Washington Adebowale Ibidapo Adefuye has accused the US of failing to provide the necessary weaponry to help his country end the militancy.

Boko Haram, whose name means “Western education is forbidden,” has claimed responsibility for deadly attacks and bombings in various parts of Nigeria since the beginning of its operations in 2009, which have left over 13,000 people dead and 1.5 million displaced.

Cameroon, Niger, Benin and Chad along with Nigeria have pledged to create an 8,700-strong force to fight the militancy.

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Boko Haram