The fight against the extremist agenda of the Boko Haram sect has taken an international dimensionas top officials of United Nations and theUS government are planning to curtail the activities of the sect.
It was learnt that while the United Nations has sent someof its senior officials tojoin the Federal Government in workingout a framework to deal with the perpetrators of the attack, for which the Boko Haram has now taken responsibility, the US government has also offered investigative assistance to track down leaders of the Boko Haram group.
According to Empowered Newswire reports, an online news portal, the Commander of the US Africa Command, AFRICOM, in an earlier visit to Nigeria this month had offered to provide help to the Nigerian military and government on how todeal with the menace of the sect especially when the Americans suspected that the Boko Haram was linkedwith the Al Quaida terrorist group.
A report last week by the Associated Press in the US quoted AFRICOM’s Commander, General Carter Ham as saying that the Boko Haram might be seeking to mount joint attacks in Nigeria with other African militants.
Ham reportedly statedthen that US intelligence sources indicated that Boko Haram had made contact with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb,which operates in North Africa, and with the Shabab in Somalia.
While speaking with the AP, Ham said the US believes Boko Haram may be splittingwith one section focused on domestic issues and another on violent international extremism.
According to the AP report, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, also known as AQIM, has issued statements in support of Boko Haram, and both use similar logos.
Besides, the report noted that “a recent video indicates that two men, a Briton and an Italian who were kidnapped in north-western Nigeria, are being held by AQIM.”
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