A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed: Ambassador Blames Boko Haram Gains On Refusal Of US To Sell Weapons To Nigeria

Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States of America, Prof. Ade Adefuye has berated the United States for refusing to sell weapons to Nigeria to help the country effectively contain Islamic insurgency in its North.

According to the envoy, had the US sold weapons to the Nigerian government, the war against insurgency would have been won long ago.

“The Nigerian leadership: Military and Political, and even the general populace, are not satisfied with the scope, nature and content of the United States’ support for us in our struggle against terrorists. We find it difficult to understand how and why in spite of the U.S. presence in Nigeria with their sophisticated military technology, Boko Haram should be expanding and becoming more deadly,” Adefuye said in Washington, while delivering an address at a meeting with U.S. Council on Foreign Relations yesterday

“The U.S. Government has up till today refused to grant Nigeria’s request to purchase lethal equipment that would have brought down the terrorists within a short time on the basis of the allegations that Nigeria’s defence forces have been violating human rights of Boko Haram suspects when captured or arrested.

“This is based largely on reports submitted by human rights groups and sections of the Nigerian media that have sympathy for the opposition parties and are prepared to use whatever means possible to embarrass the government of President Goodluck Jonathan.

“The Americans claim that lethal law forbids the sale of lethal equipment to governments that violate human rights.”

Adefuye however implored “the Council on Foreign Affairs to put pressure on the State Department and the Department of Defence to re-examine the basis of their refusal to sell the equipment to Nigeria.

“Our people are not very happy with the content of America’s support in the struggle against Boko Harm. The terrorists threaten our corporate existence and territorial integrity. There is no use giving us the type of support that enables us to deliver light jabs to the terrorists when what we need to give them is the killer punch. A friend in need is a friend indeed. The true test of friendship is in the times of adversity,” Adefuye said.

2 COMMENTS

  1. The truth still remains in the leadership and integrity of the nigerian force in general. I still don’t understand the ways they operate, because if those equipments are brought into the country, Boko Haran will still overpower them and start using those weapons against us. Let keep praying for Nigeria, I wish GEJ all the best.