President Muhammadu Buhari, has accused the United States of indirectly aiding and abetting the atrocities of Boko Haram terrorists by refusing to let Nigeria have access to much needed military arsenal to fight to quell the six-year insurgency.
Speaking on Wednesday in Washington DC where he addressed a section of people at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) as part of his four-day trip to America, Buhari frowned at the use of the ‘Leahy Law’ by the US government to deny Nigeria weapons based on unsubstantiated human rights abuses by the Nigerian military.
Expressing his belief that the US would not want the Boko Haram carnage to continue, Buhari demanded that America provide Nigeria with “far more substantial counter-terrorism assistance with minimal strings”, especially as Nigerian troops have re-written their rules engagement to better protect the rights of combatants and civilians.
He said the blanket application of the Leahy Law by the US on the grounds of unproven allegations of human rights violations levelled against the nation’s forces had denied Nigeria the necessary weapons to prosecute the war.
“In our efforts at combating the activities of Boko Haram, the new Government has sought and obtained the support of not only our neighbours, other international friends and partners.
“Regrettably, the blanket application of the Leahy Law by the United States on the grounds of unproven allegations of human rights violations levelled against our forces has denied us access to appropriate strategic weapons to prosecute the war against the insurgents.
“In the face of abduction of innocent school girls from their hostels, indiscriminate bombings of civilians in markets and places of worship, our forces have remained largely impotent.
“This is because they do not possess the appropriate weapons and technology which they could have had, had the so-called human rights violations not been an obstacle.
“Unwittingly, and I dare say, unintentionally, the application of the Leahy law amendment by the U. S. Government has aided and abetted the Boko Haram terrorist group in the prosecution of its extremist ideology and hate, the indiscriminate killings and maiming of civilians, in raping of women and girls, and in their other heinous crimes.’’
According to him, this is not the spirit of the Leahy Law, and the American people cannot support any group engaged in these crimes.
The President, therefore, appealed to both the executive arm and the US Congress to examine how the US Government could provide Nigeria with far more substantial counter-terrorism assistance with minimal strings.
“The longer we delay, the deadlier the Boko Haram gets. At all events, we have re-written the rules of engagement protecting the rights of combatants and in particular safeguarding civilians in theatres of conflict.
“As we ramp up our efforts to defeat Boko Haram, we know that winning this battle sustainably will require that we expand economic opportunities and create jobs for our teeming young population.’’ – Additional report from NAN.
