Nigeria, Unites States in fresh face-off

The face-off between Nigeria and
the United States over the
commitment and sincerity of the US
military in assisting Nigeria to fight
the Boko Haram insurgency
worsened within the week.
This followed an allegation by a top
Nigerian intelligence source that
US trainers incited Nigerian soldiers
to mutiny.
The source told SUNDAY PUNCH that
recent mutiny by Nigerian soldiers
was as a result of the ‘negative
teachings’ by US trainers, adding
that it was a major reason the
Federal Government stopped the
US from training Nigerian soldiers
on counter-terrorism.
But the US in its reaction, through
the Press Attache of the US Embassy
in Abuja, Sean J. McIntosh, described
the allegations as baseless.
She said, “The allegations are
baseless. The third phase of
training did not occur because the
Nigerian Army failed to provide the
necessary equipment for the
training.”
The US, as well as the UK, France
and China, had offered help in
human and technical capacities to
deal with the wider problem of
terrorism in North-eastern Nigeria.
But the relationship between the
two countries worsened when the
US refused to sell military
hardware, especially cobra
helicopters, to Nigeria to prosecute
the campaign against Boko Haram.
The security source, who pleaded
anonymity, said the security chiefs
and the Federal Government
doubted the genuineness of the
motive of the US security experts in
the country.
The source added that despite the
presence of the US experts, there
was no noticeable impact on the
task of recovering the abducted
girls of the Government Girls
Secondary School, Chibok.
He added that the US forces had not
given the expected intelligence
that could have been utilised by
the nation’s security forces against
Boko Haram.
“Our investigations show that some
of the soldiers that were involved
in mutiny received training in the
US. These trainings often highlight
negative things about the Federal
Government.
“Another thing Nigerians should
note is that since the Americans
came here purportedly to help get
the Chibok girls, they have not
done anything. What have they
done with all their technology and
might? Is it not suspicious?”
When asked if the US would be
asked to withdraw its intelligence
staff from Nigeria, the source said,
“They are a super power. It might
not be easy to tell them to leave.”
But the US embassy spokesman
said his country had not received
any directive or request from
Nigeria to withdraw its intelligence
personnel who were brought into
the country to assist with the
rescue of the abducted Chibok
schoolgirls
He said, “The US continues to
support Nigerian efforts to bring
about the safe recovery of those
kidnapped and to advise the
Nigerian government on its
response. Staffing of the US
government interdisciplinary team
in Nigerian remains steady since
the initial surge following the
kidnapping.”