By Winifred Bulus
Kaduna (Nigeria) — Nigeria is to collaborate with the United States Central Intelligence Unit to fight against Boko Haram insurgency and end terrorism in the country.
To this end, the US Director of Defence Intelligence Agency, Lt Gen Vincent Stewart with his delegation has met with Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin at the Defense Headquarters Abuja to discuss on strategies.
Speaking, Stewart said their mission was “to meet with the top echelon of the Nigeria Armed Forces with a view to collaborating in the areas of security and to pledge more support for the military in order to engender total stoppage of Boko Haram from operating in Nigeria territory and denying them future freedom of operation.”
Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin expressed gratitude to the US for assistance rendered in and hoped to work toward attaining the set goal of addressing insecurity issues in the country.
He also added that the Nigerian military has formed Human Rights sectors that will fight against war and hostility: as part of the international war law. This was done in hope of showcasing the willingness of Nigeria in receiving aid for its military by other Countries.
“This giant stride,” he stressed, “was believed to encourage the United States Government to render more assistance to Nigeria and its armed forces.”
Security in Nigeria has been threatened by Boko Haram for a long time and Nigeria’s military is looking for ways to end insurgency in the country by asking for assistance from other parts of the world.
Collaboration across Nigerian borders have also been made with Cameroon, Niger, and chad in hope of ending Boko Haram insurgency.
In the past year, the U.S. promised to assist Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram – the US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Samantha Power, also spoke on this when she led a delegation of top U.S. military, intelligence, business and diplomatic corps to consult with the leadership of Nigeria, Cameroon and Chad on ways of ending insurgency in the region.
