The United States Government has said that it is willing to support the fight against insecurity in Nigeria.
This was revealed by the Deputy Assistant Secretary, Micheal Gonzales, in a press briefing organized by the U.S. Bureau of African Affairs, on Thursday.
He said this was owing to the fact that the killings and abductions of students and teachers were getting worse in the country.
In recent times there have been several cases of kidnapping in the North by bandits.
Reports have it that more than 1000 victims have been kidnapped in the last seven years by bandits who keep asking for ransom and it gets worse by the day.
The meeting was held on behalf of the US counterterrorism effort in Africa.
Gonzales mentioned that America is “disgusted” by these constant mass kidnappings of students which he described as an internal security threat.
He said: “We are disgusted by this pattern of mass abduction of school kids and our condolences go out to the individuals affected and their families
This certainly appears by all indications to be a situation from criminal gangs motivated by monetary and economic factors. There is no indication that terrorists, whether Boko Haram or ISIS West Africa, are involved in this.
The United States is ready to provide appropriate support for the Nigerian government if requested to do so. Longer-term, we seek to help develop the capabilities of the Nigerian security services in order for them to adequately respond to the internal threats that the country faces.”
He also added that the U.S. is encouraged by President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to replace the Service Chiefs as part of efforts to address Nigeria’s security woes.
“We are looking forward to partnering with them to continue to build the capacities of the Nigerian military to be able to better protect and defend their people.”
