“We are prepared to do more,” in the war to defeat Boko Haram, the United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, reiterated, Sunday on a visit to Lagos, Nigeria, where he met with President Goodluck Jonathan and his main rival in next month’s elections , Maj. General Muhammadu Buhari.
Kerry met with the President at the State House, Marina while he met with the All Progressives stalwarts which included, John Oyegun, chairman of APC; Bola Tinubu, national leader of APC; Rotimi Amaechi, governor of Rivers state at Ikoyi.
He said the US will begin henceforth to deny Visas to sponsors of violence in Nigeria.
Kerry also noted that peaceful and timely elections were vital in Nigeria, as it battle a deadly insurgency by Boko Haram.
“We will continue absolutely to support the (Nigerian) military in this fight. Boko Haram continues to kill scores of innocent civilians,” he said.
“It is absolutely critical that this election can be conducted peacefully. The international community is paying very close attention to this election,” he added.
Boko Haram violence in Nigeria’s far northeast has raised concerns about the ability to hold the February 14 vote on time but Kerry said it was “imperative that elections happen on time, as scheduled”.