U.S., Nigeria will defeat Boko Haram, Obama vows
President Obama said on Monday his administration will partner with new Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to defeat the terrorist group Boko Haram, which has wreaked havoc in the region, reports Washington Post.
According to the report, in brief Oval Office comments ahead of a meeting with Mr. Buhari, Mr. Obama called Nigeria “one of the most important countries in the world” and praised its recent peaceful transition of power. Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan left office in May.
“President Buhari comes into office with a reputation of integrity and a very clear agenda and that is to make sure that he is bringing safety and security and peace to this country.
He is very concerned about the spread of Boko Haram and the violence that has taken place there and the atrocities that have taken place there and he has a very clear agenda of defeating Boko Haram and extremists of all sorts inside his country,” Mr. Obama said. “And he has a very clear agenda with respect to rooting out the corruption that has too often held back the economic growth and prosperity of his country. On both these issues, we’re looking forward to hearing more about his plans and how the United States can partner with Nigeria.”
Boko Haram in recent months has aligned itself with the Islamic State, the powerful terrorist group in control of swaths of Iraq and Syria. Boko Haram also gained worldwide notoriety last year after kidnapping hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls, leading first lady Michelle Obama and other Americans to take to social media as part of the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.