A US Bureau of Counterterrorism report has indicted the Federal Government of Nigeria, saying it is thwarting the efforts of the Northern state governors in stemming the insurgent activities of Boko Haram.
This was contained in the 2013 Country Reports on Terrorism which was released on Wednesday evening noted that the Federal Government had failed in addressing “grievances among northern populations” which it listed as high unemployment and dearth of basic services.
The report decried the Boko Haram insurgency which it said “continued throughout the northern part of the country,” noting that the violence was spilling over into neighbouring Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.
The report partly read, “The government of Nigeria’s efforts to address grievances among northern populations, which includes high unemployment and a dearth of basic services, made little progress. Some state governments in the North attempted to increase education and employment opportunities, but with almost no support from the Federal Government.
“The United States called on the Nigerian government to employ a more comprehensive strategy to address Boko Haram that combines security efforts with political and development efforts to reduce Boko Haram’s appeal, address the legitimate concerns of the people of northern Nigeria, and protect the rights of all of Nigeria’s citizens.”
The report also faulted the way and manner “several government agencies” were performing counter-terrorism functions, saying the development was hampering the success of the war against terrorism.