United States has said it could not deploy troops against Boko Haram in the North-East because there is a democratically elected government in Nigeria.It stated that it was taking the lead against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria terrorists because there is no functional government in Syria.
A ranking US Congressman and member of the sub-committee on National Security, Stephen Lynch, who spoke to select journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, explained that the US had assisted Nigeria with huge amount of money, adding that America sees Nigeria as a close ally.
He said, “We are taking the lead against ISIL because there is no government in Syria, but in Nigeria, there is a democratically elected government in place. The US is doing what it has been asked to do; we are providing training, manpower development, capacity building and we have assisted Nigeria with billions.”
When asked if the US has done enough to assist in rescuing the 219 Chibok school girls abducted by Boko Haram about 331 days ago, Lynch admitted that America has not done enough to rescue the girls.
“Until the girls are rescued, we have not done enough,” he stated.
The lawmaker who is also a member of the Financial Services Committee and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said the source of Boko Haram financing has been cut off, noting that the sect could no longer use banks to transfer its funds like before.
The lawmaker whose committee was in Nigeria to continue its nearly three years investigation of embassy and diplomatic security at high-risk overseas US State Department facilities, stated that the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit has largely blocked off Boko Haram source of funding.
The sect, he said, is sustaining its deadly campaign through ransoms from kidnappings, robberies, imposition of taxes on people and other criminal activities which are difficult to stop.
Lynch said no insurgency could be sustained without support from the people, adding that the only way to deprive terrorism of support is by having the population on the side of the government.
The legislator stressed that the forthcoming election in the country is very important and advised candidates to speak against violence at every opportunity, noting that the candidates have a lot of influence which they could use to preach non-violence polls to their supporters.
