Adebowale Ibidapo Adefuye, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, criticized the US government for refusing to sell Nigeria lethal weaponry it needs to decisively defeat the Boko Haram insurgency, according to an ABC News report.
Adebowale Ibidapo Adefuye, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United States, criticized the US government for refusing to sell Nigeria lethal weaponry it needs to decisively defeat the Boko Haram insurgency, according to an ABC News report.
"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," Adefuye told an audience at a forum organized by the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C.
Ambassador Adefuye’s comments were directed at the Nigerian government’s belief that the US was avoiding arms sales with Nigeria due to highly publicized allegations of rampant human rights abuses committed by the Nigerian Armed Forces.
Human rights groups like Amnesty International have previously published reports and video footage showing the Nigerian military committing acts of abuse, including torture and executions. [story_link align="left"]35103[/story_link]
The US has deployed a number of soldiers to assist the Nigerian military in counter-insurgency operations against Boko Haram although in noncombat roles, according to the Nigerian government.