The United States has said that the Nigerian military is becoming afraid of engaging the Boko Haram insurgents.
Testifying on Thursday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the US Air Force Chief of staff, Gen. Mark Welsh III, said, “We’re now looking at a military force that is, quite frankly, becoming afraid to even engage. The United States doesn’t have the capacity, the capability to go rescue every kidnapped person around the world.”
The New York Times reported that the US might choose to minimise its involvement in the search for the over 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram due to doubts over Nigeria’s military capabilities.
It was learnt that the US had questioned the ability of the Nigerian military to rescue the girls even with international help.
The Pentagon’s Principal Director for African Affairs, Alice Friend, also said, “The Nigerian military has the same challenges with corruption that every other institution in Nigeria does. Much of the funding that goes to the Nigerian military is skimmed off the top, if you will.”
US officials have also said that its involvement had also been made difficult because Nigerian officials ignored past warnings to soften brutal tactics that only fuelled the Boko Haram’s insurgency.
At Thursday’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, officials condemned the kidnappings and committed American aid to help rescue the girls. But they also expressed frustration at Nigeria’s political and military leaders for failing to heed Washington’s warnings about the extremist group.
“We have been urging Nigeria to reform its approach to Boko Haram,” Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Robert Jackson, said.
He added, “From our own difficult experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq, we know that turning the tide of an insurgency requires more than force. The state must demonstrate to its citizens that it can protect them and offer them opportunity. When soldiers destroy towns, kill civilians and detain innocent people with impunity, mistrust takes root.”
A retired Head of the US military’s Africa Command, Gen. Carter Ham, said, “My sense is that US Government will remain in a supporting role to Nigeria. I do not think the U.S.G. will seek unilateral action.”
The size of the Sambisa Forest is also believed to make the search for the girls difficult.
“We are basically searching for these girls in an area that’s roughly the size of West Virginia, so it’s a tough challenge, to be sure,” state Department spokesman, Marie Harf, said on Thursday. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Nigeria never had it so bad,corruptipn everywhere. Deeply ashame of you people in government. You are object of ridicule all over the world. Your citizens lives under two dollar a day wnile you the priviledge ones keep amassing wealth. Big and big shame to you,from the president to d lawakers millitary,police,immigration,down to local govt chairmem.
ReplyDeleteThat's what we are battling with all levels.... We need God intervention...
DeleteIts quiet unfortunate. This also goes to confirm that even the infomation we receive can only be wiith a pinch of salt.
DeleteWho will bell the cat
DeleteTell those salary gulping, civilian battering and lady stripping ass holes to engage or resign if truly they are reluctant to fight. But how will they when military recruitment is by connection. People with the will apply, but only those with the connection are chosen.
ReplyDeleteHow did Ihejirika engage the insurgents?
ReplyDeleteThis is a very embarrassing testimony against the Nigerian army, and against Nigeria as a whole. I hope that when this is all over, we will all be able to see how much corruption has destroyed our country and we will all make conscious efforts to eliminate it.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt God would nothing than expose d wickedness nd hard-heatedness of d wickedness nd its degrees in dis country for the world 2 see nd judge. The question now's 'Where do we go from here?' Who's 2 blame? Our leaders or those being lead? God have mercy!
ReplyDeleteIf this vast area as large as west Virginia was uninhabited, one wonders were the population figure we are given for the state reside.
ReplyDeleteAlso with the state of the military, I wonder why every one blames the President without restraint
These facts are coming from a neutral body - the US. It is known fact that the Nigerian governments and its security agencies have become useless as it comes to the ability to defend this country and its citizens, all this as a result of corruption. Our soldiers have refused to fight because their welfare packages never reach them, there is no one to hold and prosecute the corrupt ones because all those in power are neck deep in it. The next step may be the need for military to clear off these politicians as the Malian military did when the government could not stop the invading rebels.
ReplyDeletewhat do you expect from the military?, when 75% of the military is made up of the same Boko Haram sympathizers (Hausa Muslims)
ReplyDeleteGod punish you. Useless animal without brains.
DeleteBy making this statement, u have become a disgrace to your religion and tribe. may God help u to understand
DeleteThis is the repercussion of a disgusting bad habit "corruption", nigerian leaders from the day of independence should all cover their faces in shame and failure. It all boils down at all the unemployed which is the basis of how BH gets volunteers to join dem, just imagine an individual after spending so much money to get well educated and later finds work but due to pathetic stage curruption has eating the country couldn't get a single job for over a decade and BH offers him a rifle with 20,000,000 as deposite for joining them, who on earth will refuse such offer. Look at ogwuche and tell me is dat guy feeding well or not. The best thing here is to get out of this GODFORSAKING country before a civil war begins
ReplyDeleteI have an elderly man in my area that has three son who had graduated and had been looking for work for the past 14yrs but no way. The old man is clocking 60 now and the children are still feeding on him, the man openly confessed that if BH are recruitting, they shud passby his area and carry his sons since its 30,000,000 each they give for freshers. This is a natural saying " if a country fails to do wat is right, then the wrong and bad tins will take place"
ReplyDeleteAll leaders in nigeria, past and present are all businessmen and no businessman will fail to utilize his opportunity of becoming bastardly rich. Imagine the way former EFCC chairman Ribadu was fighting corruption with his last and every might but now the corrupt chairman there is having a field day by giving embezzlers his account number. Nigeria can never in the next 100 years plus fight corruption if a strong panel of justice controlled by no arms of government and permanently empowered by the constitution is estblished nd RIBADU shud be giving the permanent sit as a chairman, only then is nigeria fighting corruption on a 25% capability
ReplyDeleteNigerians are pretenders. Who is that Nigerian that is not currupt. Corruption is not about stealing money alone. From govt offices to fuel stations where meters had been adjusted, Even the relunctance of petrol attendants to return change to customers, late cooming to work, squeezing 4 or 5 persons inside a vehicle meant for 3 etc. What of LG chairmen of Speakers of assemblies now riding in convoys, Pastors now steal from their churches, yet we blame govt. Was Jonathan the problem 10, 20 or 30 years ago? Nothing changes until all of us are ready to change.
ReplyDeleteAm angry, how I wish I can be used as an experiment by world top scientist and nuerologist to posses the features of SUPERMAN, just give me a year to make nigeria 10 times better than UK
ReplyDeleteWake up it's morning! Or maybe Na malaria dey catch u. This kind dream.
DeleteWhen all we do is applaud the corrupt leaders and give them titles bcos they bamboozle us with trivial gifts, we shud be ready for what we are seeing now. Nigerians have never in their lives, taken it upon themselves to question the atitude of their leaders. The result? Corruption in high places. Why would the soldiers engage, when they are not sure of the next meal? With what equipment are they engaging? Their willies? Who amongst them know current combat techniques of which to engage in? Do we know the amount of refresher trainings these BH guys get daily? Sorry brothers, let us wake up! Until we take responsibility of our lives, these maggots will continue to destroy us. Chikena
ReplyDeleteBreeze has blown and has exposed d anus of d fowl. So dat is why ihejirika dem wia removed.
ReplyDeleteWhen Buhari enter presidency corruption will become rest in hell.
ReplyDeleteAnd after he removes corruption with one hand he uses d other to ismalize d whole of Nigeria. A beg Buhari is d worst thing dat can happen to Nigeria, he is a blood thirsty dictator
DeleteThose soldiers who are reluntant to fight should be remove from the army,there are basically there to earn money and not to defend their country,especially soldiers recruited recently,there should be a serious shake up in the army,they are only good in beating up civilians in town,they are civliians hidding in army uniforms,those who refuse to fight should be sack.they should be ashamed of themselies for failing to assist their helpers in rescuring our kidnap girls.
ReplyDeleteThe greatest crime in Nigeria today is corruption, yet no one is doing anything about it.
ReplyDeleteThank God for expossing nigerian leaders
ReplyDeleteCoruption! Coruption! Coruption! Yet d president says coruption is over blown in nigeria.
ReplyDeletePlease for those calling for God intervention, God don't have anything to do with this or answering such prayers. ...stand up let us fight corruption ....is coursed by human and human will solve it.....think b4 open mouth.
ReplyDeletePlease for those calling for God intervention, God don't have anything to do with this or answering such prayers. ...stand up let us fight corruption ....is coursed by human and human will solve it.....think b4 open mouth.
ReplyDeleteEverybody is entitle to his/her own opinion, bt I just want u to see the issue of soilders not wanting to fight to free the Chibok girls in anoda perspective, the leaders order dem to fight while dey will b the ones informing Bokoharam of their arrival and tactics, these pple are human beings like, so dere is every tendency for dem to be afraid,...... Although that's their wrk, that's what dey are being paid for, especially wen dey know that their safety is not guarateed. So I blame these poor soldiers Less
ReplyDeleteCan Labaran Maku react to this? Why won't the soldiers be reluctant when allowances are not paid, those that lost their lives on the battle field never got their gratuities and entitlements paid to their families for over one and a half years yet their officers are buing and building houses and businesses all over the world. God help us.
ReplyDeleteU are saying corruption is the cause of bokoharam or what?
ReplyDeleteWhen majority of those soldier are hausas what do u expect
ReplyDeleteyes gd luk
ReplyDeleteThe issue is that the rank and files in the army are made up mostly northerners and they cannot fight their brothers. Boko haram fighters are not that poweful. Those boys are only sympathetic to their course.
ReplyDeleteShame on GEJ.
ReplyDeleteNawa ooo niger were are we head to may almight ALLAH help us ooo,this too much,kidnaper an BH in nigeria
ReplyDeleteCan you dxplain that ur shame on GEJ? He did not release money on security or people that are there are not capable or u dont no what to write u put shame on GEJ pls tell us
ReplyDeleteNigeria is Fuck
ReplyDeleteDecades of corruption plus arrival of incompetent GEJ equal to failed state in the making...
ReplyDelete