Loki Loc: Georgia

Nigeria is one of our few reliable friends in Africa. Nigerian immigrants to this country are mostly honest, intelligent, educated people who are a credit to any community. Nigeria is having problems with Boko Harem right now that need our help.
This article was authored by the Nigerian Ambassador.




Two thousand killed in an attack on Baga. More than 50 elderly people rounded up and opened fire on. 185 women and children kidnapped after their village was burned to the ground, while most of the some 200 kidnapped girls from Chibok remain in captivity.

These are just some of the latest in the over 1,000 acts of violence perpetrated by Boko Haram in a four-year campaign of terror. While their geographic influence is limited – Boko Haram’s activities are concentrated in three Northeastern states of the country where only five percent of Nigerians live – the effect of Boko Haram’s influence is devastating. Since 1988, insurgency violence is to blame for nearly 30,000 deaths, and the death toll is rapidly increasing this year. In fact, more Nigerians have been killed by Boko Haram than have died in the entire Ebola epidemic. And on top of this death toll, a million-and-a-half Nigerians have been forced out of their homes, while millions more live in fear of another violent attack.

Second to the Islamic State (IS), Boko Haram is the biggest threat in the fight against religious extremism. In fact, the territory Boko Haram has taken control of now nearly equals IS’s in Iraq and Syria. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry stated that Boko Haram’s “unspeakable violence and acts of terror … are horrific, wrong and have no place in our world.” But as the U.S. fight Islamic extremism, condemnation without action is not enough. It is critical that the U.S. view combatting Boko Haram as an essential part of the global strategy against terror and understand that Nigeria is, and will continue to be, a vital ally.
A leading contributor to peacekeeping missions worldwide, the Nigerian military is the largest and most capable military in Africa. In response to the threat of Boko Haram, President Jonathan declared a state of emergency in the Northeastern states shortly after the Chibok girls were kidnapped, flooding the region with troops and other resources. He deployed additional troops to gather intelligence on Boko Haram’s activities, and he forged regional and international military partnerships. Yet in spite of all these efforts, Boko Haram is a growing and unprecedented threat. Our military simply does not have the counter-insurgency experience to fight Boko Haram alone.

Nigeria appreciates what the United States has done thus far. The State Department is working with us to build counterterrorism and security capabilities of civilian and law enforcement agencies, and has deployed some U.S. troops to the region to assist in the targeted mission of finding the Chibok girls. But if combined efforts to stop Boko Haram are to be successful, such shows of solidarity from the U.S. must be expanded substantially.

First, Nigeria urges President Obama to dramatically increase all types of support for our military. We need the U.S. to provide counter-insurgency training for our Special Forces teams, weapons and equipment, and advanced technologies for effective intelligence gathering. Similarly, we want help and support to ensure our fight in the war on terror is conducted in accordance with the Geneva Conventions and with strong human-rights protections for civilians.

Second, the U.S. should reevaluate its application of the Leahy Amendment to our military units. Nigeria deplores any abuses committed by our soldiers and embraces the need to ensure that U.S. weapons are used for proper purposes. That said, however, the U.S. also understands from its own experience the complexities of fighting the war on terror in the 21st century. No country is immune from human-rights abuses and others currently dealing with insurgency would meet the standard that the U.S. is trying to impose on us. Rather than merely criticizing, we need the help of the U.S. as a fellow democracy to help us improve our performance.

While we have initiated investigations and prosecutions into credible allegations of abuse, Boko Haram has succeeded at times in raiding our military bases, stealing our weapons and uniforms. With these disguises, Boko Haram has repeatedly conducted attacks on civilian centers so that local people and the world would blame the Nigerian military for abuses. I am not suggesting that our military, like any in the world, has not committed abuses that both need to be punished and stamped out, but one cannot simply accept every allegation as credible. The U.S. must recognize these complex realities, and provide Nigeria an unambiguous explanation of how our units can clear Leahy Amendment vetting – taking into account what is really happening on the ground in Nigeria.

Finally, the U.S. should continue and expand its campaign for global support and coalition building to fight extremism. And such efforts must also seek greater pooled resources from like-minded governments that can be deployed to address emerging threats.

The U.S. and Nigeria are two vibrant democracies working together on the same fight. Our goals are aligned: eradicate extremism, and bring peace, stability, and prosperity to disrupted communities. According to these common values, it is in both of our interests to ensure that no Nigerian sheds blood to vote in our fast approaching presidential election on February 14; with U.S. support, we can ensure that the election, is free, fair, credible, and violence free. I am confident that with our mutual commitments we will find common ground and prevail against those who seek to rule with terror.

Adefuye is the Nigerian ambassador to the United States.

skott Loc: Bama

I kinda of agree with the article, except it being a democracy. Nigeria has some strong parts of a dictatorship going.
But, them being our allies in the war against radical Islam is true.

Loki Loc: Georgia

I know a lot of Nigerians, mostly from college. They are without exception honest, friendly, well-educated and articulate. I suppose there are some not-so-great ones, I've just never met one.

skott Loc: Bama

All the Nigerians that I know are the same. Of course the number is only 4. I don't have any problem at all with the people, but the government there is not a great democracy. It is not even a fair republic. Isn't it in fact closer to a dictatorship than is good for us to associate with?
But, I do like that they are our allies against the crazies.

Loki Loc: Georgia

Nigeria has a government structured much like ours, with a president, House, Senate and Supreme Court. Also much like ours, it is one of the most corrupt on earth, they just don't bother to hide it. Corruption is so ingrained their politicians see no need to hide behind self-righteous
hypocrisy, as ours do. In spite of this, Nigeria has a pretty good primary and secondary school system. They have plenty of oil and gas revenue, but, once more like us, they have their own version of the 1% squeezing the juice out of the lemon.

9th Marines

Thanks for posting. What is to be done with all of these radicalized Muslim groups. To kill a snake you cut the head off. It appears that Islam is like Medusa--a head covered with multiple venomous snakes. Cut one off and there are still 99 left. And maybe they regenerate and cannot be eliminated.