Obama wants Nigeria to shift emphasis from oil to non oil

The Nigeria’s Ambassador and Head of Mission in the United States of America, Prof. Ade Adefuye, on Sunday evening listed some of the changes the US authorities expected to see in Nigeria henceforth.

Buhari and Obama

Adefuye spoke with journalists at the Embassy of Nigeria Building in Washington DC shortly before the arrival of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari is currently on a four-day official visit to the country.

The ambassador listed one of the priority areas to include Nigeria’s shift of emphasis from oil to non-oil exports.

“America will want to see a shift of the emphasis from oil to non-oil exports, agriculture, power, infrastructure and solid materials and all the things that will help Nigeria to diversify,” he said.

Adefuye added that the US would also want to see a world where there would be consultations rather than confrontations.

He said since that was also the objective of Nigeria, the two countries had to complement each other.

He expressed the optimism that Buhari’s visit would bring about an improvement in the quality of relations between Nigeria and the US.

He said the visit would also strengthen relationship between Nigeria and America and a renewed commitment to protection of Nigeria’s territorial integrity in terms of stopping the offensive of Boko Haram.

He said the commitment of Nigeria to the development of the democratic process, rule of law and good governance was also important to the US.

Adefuye was optimistic that by the end of the visit, many political watchers would see concrete steps towards achieving those objectives.

Obama wants Nigeria to shift emphasis from oil to non oil

Boko Haram: Obama snubs Nigeria again, gives $35m military support to France

President Barack Obama has ordered the release of $35 million worth of U.S. military and defence assistance to France which has been backing the military of Chad, Niger and Mali in the fight against jihadist group, Boko Haram, ignoring Nigeria that has been at the centre of the five-year insurgency.

A press statement from the White House on Wednesday said the United States leader gave the support to enable France secure the three French-speaking African nations, who all share borders with Nigeria.

In the White House statement, President Obama gave authority to US Secretary of State, John Kerry, to facilitate the US assistance to Mali, Niger and Chad.

“By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby delegate to the Secretary of State the authority under section 506(a)(1) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to direct the drawdown of up to $35 million in defense services of the Department of Defense to provide assistance to France in its efforts to secure Mali, Niger, and Chad from terrorists and violent extremists, and to make the determinations required under such section to direct such a drawdown,” the statement said.

The omission is seen as another fallout of the strained relations between Nigeria and the United States over the Boko Haram war.

Nigeria suspended a military training with the U.S. in 2014 after the Americans repeatedly blocked its effort to buy arms to fight Bok Haram.

The US government denied Nigeria the sales of US-made Cobra fighter-helicopters. New information now have revealed that the sales were coming from Israel which had okayed the deal from its own inventory, but needed US approval since the fighter-helicopters were from America.

The Israeli government under the terms of the US assistance cannot transfer the military helicopter to another foreign country except the US government approved it.

The United States had criticised the Nigerian military’s human rights record and its handling of the Boko Haram crisis, particular the search for over 200 schoolgirls abducted by the group, from Chibok, Borno State.

With the current administration winding down in less than a month, the American government now appears ready to provide improved assistance to Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram, once the Muhammadu Buhari presidency takes office May 29.

Last week in New York at the Time magazine Influential 100 people gala, top US government officials including Samantha Powers promised that the US will do more to support the search for the Chibok girls and the fight against Boko Haram in Nigeria.

Boko Haram: Obama snubs Nigeria again, gives $35m military support to France

How world powers plotted Jonathan’s defeat

•US, UK connection  
•How ‘hawks’ tried to stop his concession

OUTGOING President Goodluck Jonathan lost his re-election bid several weeks before the March 28 poll to a web of plots hatched at home and honed abroad, Saturday Tribune has reliably learnt.

President Goodluck Jonathan

Information also in possession of Saturday Tribune revealed a last-minute contest between forces that wanted him to bow out and those that wanted him to hold out for as long as necessary even when it was evident that the news from the field pointed at a possible defeat.

It was learnt that as of 5.00 p.m. on Tuesday, hawks around the president were still at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, piling pressure on him not to concede defeat.

Those working on him to concede and bow out, reportedly led by a former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, were also said to have stayed put in the same Presidential Villa, persuading him that it was the most honourable way to go since it was clear that figures from the field were not in his favour.

The drama in the Presidential Villa was also said to be closely monitored by combined international forces that had concluded on post-Jonathan presidency, reportedly led by the United States of America and the United Kingdom.

One of those around the president persuading him to stay put was said to be a General in the army from a not-too-core Northern state, reportedly assuring him that the alleged irregularities in the North, underage voters, among other issues, which were beamed live by a national television station and shown on the Cable News Network (CNN) would be enough ground for him to reject the outcome.

The president was also allegedly told that he would be making General Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) heroes by conceding to them, because all the good works he had done which were nearing fruition would blossom during their reign and would count as their achievements.

He reportedly told them that no matter how long he stayed in office, he would still leave one day and since crisis was certain to herald his opposition to the outcome, he would be reneging on his promise that no Nigerian blood would be worth his political ambition.

Convinced that it was the way to go, the president reportedly took “his own” by surprise by making the now-famous phone call to Buhari without telling them, although they were present at the president’s abode.

He was also said to have played a fast one on the hawks by making the call before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Buhari as the winner, following his assessment of the figures available to him, while those pressurising him to hang on reportedly thought the concession would be after the announcement by the electoral body as is usually the practice.

The western world, according to available information, keyed into the Buhari presidency project months before the election and the refusal to sell arms to Nigeria to fight the Boko Haram insurgency by Washington was said to be mainly predicated on the likelihood of Jonathan’s administration using same to quell possible civil disobedience if he manipulated the results to remain in power.

With political forces in the nation led by former President Olusegun Obasanjo reportedly concluded on getting him out at all cost, the western world, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom, were said to have been persuaded into the project on two main planks; corruption and insecurity.

Settled that Jonathan’s administration had been underwhelming in performance in those two critical areas and convinced that the incumbent was bent on retaining his job, the international coalition allegedly undermined his administration as much as possible, with allies elsewhere, including Africa, also allegedly brought into the Jonathan-must-go project.

A source pointed at two main happenings in the course of the election to show how deeply the international community was involved, while making the outgoing president to be at ease, despite the rug being pulled off his feet.

The US and the UK had been at the forefront of peace pacts across the nation, starting with Jonathan and Buhari in what came to be known as Abuja Peace Accord, with Jonathan’s government having to react angrily at a point at the perceived temerity with which top diplomats from the western world were handling peace pacts and activities regarding the electoral process.

“They almost became a parallel government in Nigeria. That is what you get when a leader is too pacifist,” a source in the government said.

The unprecedented joint statement by the US Secretary of State, John Kerry and British Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, overtly accusing Jonathan’s camp of moves to tamper with the incoming results of the presidential election was seen as the final move by them to show the side they were on in the contest.

The government source noted that APC was always calling on the international community to wade in when accusing Jonathan’s government of plots to manipulate the elections, because an understanding existed between them after Buhari’s appearance at Chatham House and his famous interview with the CNN.

After the field job was done and figures confirmed Jonathan’s loss, those behind the plot to ease him out and save the country from chaos were said to have moved to the last stage in the presidential contest, which was to persuade him to accept defeat, since his refusal of same could ignite the South-South and South-East and possible bloody attacks on Northerners in such states.

A predictable reprisal in the North was projected as possible fulfilment of the feared break-up. The oil interests of those western nations in the Niger-Delta also reportedly necessitated a negotiated peaceful exit for him by persuading him to accept defeat and assurance obtained from Buhari that Jonathan would face no harassment out of office.

Having fulfilled his own part, Buhari had also fulfilled his with public pronouncement that Jonathan had nothing to fear under his administration, while engaging in peace preachment to his supporters.

Apart from obtaining assurance from Buhari, the western world would also lead in global praise of Jonathan, aimed at attenuating the pains of making the wrong history of being the first defeated incumbent, while leading opposition figures were also said to be under firm instruction not to attack him in any ways until he steps down on May 29.

The US and UK were particularly said to have completely bought into the anti-Jonathan project following his decision to turn to Russia for purchase of arms, with a diplomat in foreign service saying that it would have been better for Jonathan to completely move over to Russia’s side instead of playing in the middle.

According to him, “whoever advised him to purchase arms from Russia when a real war was on with the United States misled the president. You don’t even do that during the Cold War, let alone during this “Hot War.” There was no way US intelligence circle would forgive a big nation like Nigeria making such diplomatic faux pas.

“These security experts have serious leverage over American presidents. Regardless of any friendship that could be between (American president, Barack) Obama and Jonathan, when such security goons say it is time for a leader of a nation to go, American presidents hardly say no and, obviously, Jonathan had no serious pact with (Russian president, Vladimir) Putin, beyond buying arms.”

Since the presidential election result was announced, President Obama had issued about three press statements on the outcome, Jonathan’s concession and the need for the two leaders to keep preaching peace to their supporters as well as asking that finest democratic ideals should be upheld in the conduct of the April 11 governorship election.

A government source explained that Obama’s unusual interest in the governorship election was borne out of fears that Jonathan might take his frustration of loss out on the process and tamper with it in a way to give his party, which would be in opposition from May 29, an edge in governorship spread by winning as many states as possible.

In days ahead, it was gathered that beyond the phone calls, Jonathan may be visiting the United States as a special guest of Obama which, an insider said, is aimed at retaining him as the face of peace offering to the Niger-Delta, which is feared could become the breeding ground for fifth columnists that would make the nation’s economy unmanageable for Buhari.

How world powers plotted Jonathan’s defeat

Boko Haram: Jonathan plans to meet Obama, Cameron

By Our Reporters

There are indications that President Goodluck Jonathan may soon meet with President Barak Obama and the British Prime Minister, David Cameroun to raise Nigeria’s concerns over the two country’s refusal to sell arms that would enable the Nigerian Military fight the Boko Haram insurgency.

Obama and Jonathan

Highly placed security and Presidency sources told Saturday Vanguard that the meeting had become necessary following the Federal Government’s inability to procure necessary arms and ammunition to fight terrorists in the north eastern part of the country.

Saturday Vanguard had exclusively reported the unwillingness of the American and British governments to assist Nigerian security services with arms and training, following which the government has turned to Russia and China to meet some of its military requirements.

Already, over 1,000 Nigerian soldiers and other security personnel are in Russia for training by the country’s security personnel.

A Presidency official said that although the American government officials make regular public commitments that they would assist Nigerian security officials fight terrorism, “the truth of the matter is that they are not doing anything.

“Our greatest challenge is that the American government has not only remained unwilling to sell arms to our security services, they have blocked every attempt by this government to procure arms through other means. They do not share intelligence with our security services, they are not assisting our security services substantially,” the source added.

The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter noted that the decision to explore the possibility of a face to face meeting between Jonathan and Barak Obama was to enable the Nigerian president to impress it upon his U. S counterpart on the urgency of the needs of the Nigerian Armed Forces.

“We believe that if we are able to have a breakthrough with the American President, things will be better in terms of purchase of equipment for our armed services. We are hopeful that the trend will be reversed if we are able to convince the Americans” the source further added.

Saturday Vanguard further gathered that the decision by the south African government to seize $5 million which was meant for the purchase of military hardware from the Nigerian government followed pressure from the American government on the South African government not to allow the deal go through.

The American Ambassador to Nigeria Mr. James Entwistle said the unwillingness of his government to sell arms to Nigeria stemmed from the fact that the Nigerian armed forces had been accused of human rights abuses especially in the North East where it is fighting terrorists.

Addressing newsmen in Yola, the Adamawa State capital Thursday, Entwistle reportedly said that the American government would only sell or give out arms when she was sure of the purpose it was meant for.

“Before we share equipment with any country, whether it is a government-to-government grant or a commercial sale that requires government approval, we look at a couple of things.

“Does it make sense in terms of that country’s needs? The second thing we look at is the human rights situation in that country. And as we look at equipment transfers, we look at the situation in those countries in the past few years.

“As you all know, there have been instances, I am not saying across the board, of human rights abuses by the Nigerian military in the North-east.

“So the kind of question that we have to ask is let’s say we give certain kinds of equipment to the Nigerian military which are then used in a way that affects the human rights situation. If I approve that, I’m responsible for that. We take that responsibility very seriously,” Entwistle said.

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Boko Haram: Jonathan plans to meet Obama, Cameron

Obama rejects Nigeria’s request for trial Ebola drug

The United States of America, yesterday, dashed the hope of an early cure for Ebola Virus victims in Nigeria when it refused to share the trial drug with Nigeria. US President Barak Obama says it would be premature to share the experimental drug with Africa.

Obama and Jonathan

The Federal Government had earlier reached out to the United States Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, in Atlanta, to request for the drug for treatment of EVD affected persons in Nigeria, but President Obama turned down the request, saying it would be far more beneficial to focus on prevention instead.

Nigeria recorded its first Ebola Virus disease fatality on Tuesday when one of the nurses who was one of the primary contacts of the American-Liberian, Patrick Sawyer, passed on. The doctor who treated Sawyer, who died in the country after flying into Lagos, is now ill with Ebola and six other primary contacts are currently ill with the disease in a Lagos hospital where they are quarantined.

Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu and Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku had disclosed on Wednesday after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja that the Federal Government was awaiting the response of the request it made to the CDC on Tuesday.

Addressing the 50 African leaders at the US-African Summit in Washington, President Obama stated that it is “premature” to send an experimental medicine for the treatment of Ebola to West Africa, as he lacked enough information to approve the drug that was already being used on two American aid workers whose conditions were said to have improved by varying degrees.

“We’ve got to let the science guide us and I don’t think all the information is in on whether this drug is helpful. The Ebola virus, both currently and in the past, is controllable if you have a strong public health infrastructure in place.

“The countries affected are the first to admit that what’s happened here is the public health systems have been overwhelmed. They weren’t able to identify and then isolate cases quickly enough.

“As a consequence, it spread more rapidly than has been typical with the periodic Ebola outbreaks that occurred previously,” he remarked.

Palliative

As a palliative, President Obama announced plans by the US to spend $110 million annually, for three to five years, totall ing $330-$550 million, to help African nations develop rapid reaction peacekeeping forces.

The Ebola virus causes viral hemorrhagic fever, which refers to a group of viruses that affect multiple organ systems in the body and are often accompanied by bleeding.

The experimental medicine is a three-mouse monoclonal antibody, meaning that mice were exposed to fragments of the Ebola virus and then the antibodies generated within the mice’s blood were harvested to create the medicine. It works by preventing the virus from entering and infecting new cells.

Developed by a San Diego Company, Mapp Biopharmaceutical, the experimental serum had never been tried before on human beings but had shown promise in small experiments with monkeys. Company documents show that four monkeys infected with Ebola survived after being given the therapy within 24 hours after infection.

In the monkeys, the experimental serum had been given within 48 hours of infection. Two of four other monkeys that started therapy within 48 hours after infection also survived. One monkey that was not treated died within five days of exposure to the virus.

WHO debates emergency

Meanwhile, on the second day of its emergency meeting on the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the World Health Organisation, WHO, says it would convene a panel of medical ethicists to discuss if the drug should be used on others and who should receive it.

The UN Agency will decide whether to declare it an international crisis at the end of the closed-door session after it finds out whether the outbreak constitutes what is known in WHO-speak as a “public health emergency of international concern”.

To date, the WHO has not issued global-level recommendations — such as travel and trade restrictions — related to the outbreak which began in Guinea and has spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria.

Spain records Ebola case

The CDC raised its alert to the highest level and has also increased its efforts to contain the massive outbreak before it can be officially labelled as a global health threat. This is the situation as Miguel Pajares became the first Ebola patient to arrive in Europe yesterday after the Spanish government flew the 75-year-old Roman Catholic priest to an undisclosed hospital in Madrid for treatment. The missionary worker was working in Liberia treating Ebola patients when he contracted the virus.

In response to the longest and most deadly Ebola outbreak in world history, the CDC raised its alert level to Level 1. The Level 1 alert is saved for the most serious public health emergencies and allows the agency to relocate hundreds of employees working on different projects to refocus their efforts on Ebola containment.

ECOWAS suspends meetings

Also, the ECOWAS Commission has announced suspension of all its meetings to facilitate tackling of the Ebola outbreak in the sub region.

ECOWAS Vice President, Dr Toga Mcintosh who made the announcement at a press briefing for members of the diplomatic corps on Nigeria’s national response to the Ebola Virus disease outbreak, stated that it was with immediate effect.

“On our own, we have undertaken that ECOWAS suspends all meetings that can bring us together, so all meetings will be suspended for now.”

He stated that a task force has been established to monitor all information which is working along with member states in order to share information.

“We are going to fumigate the entire places were the late Patrick Sawyer stayed before his death; even the vehicle. This, I must say, is a community challenge. It is not a one-country challenge; it is a global challenge,” he added.

Addressing the Diplomatic Corps, Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu said 70 borders are carrying out screenings at all the entry points in the country as he also stated that Nigeria has not closed her borders but still looking at all possibilities.

He noted that Nigeria will not hesitate to do so if there is any superior argument.

“Alert has been signed to all the 36 states of the federation and the local governments on how measures can be taken. The world is in danger, we have an emergency at hand globally, every nation is at risk and every individual is at risk.”

Chukwu also stated that the Federal Government has banned Nigerians from bringing corpses of their loved ones back to Nigeria from Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia; only if there is a waiver and that must follow due process. He said provisions for life insurance to protect health workers in case of any loss of life will be granted.

We foresaw Ebola in Nigeria – Vet Council

Reacting to the situation in the country, the Veterinary Council of Nigeria, VCN, said it foresaw the outbreak of Ebola disease in the country, given unrestricted contact between humans and wild animals.

In an interview, the Registrar, VCN, Dr. Markus Avong, told Vanguard in Abuja that veterinarians in the country had expressed concern over the crave for bush meat by most Nigerians and eating of dead animals found in the bush.

“The major source of introduction of the Ebola virus into Nigeria was not through the animal population, rather it was introduced into Nigeria by a Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer. That shows the virus security measures put in place by the Federal Ministry of Health are adequate enough to stop the further spread of the virus from person to person.

“Notwithstanding, in a typical outbreak of Ebola virus, it is usually through wild animals like chimpanzees, fruit bats, monkeys and others that have the source of infection in humans.

“Veterinarians in this country have been interacting on how to handle the possible outbreak of the Ebola virus, because it is a disease that is transferred from animals in the wild to humans. We have been on the issue since and sensitizing ourselves and Nigerians on how to handle animals.

Avong said efforts had been on to sensitize people on eating bush meat and handling dead animals, which some people eat also.

“The advocacy has been on before now. We are urging Nigerians to desist from eating bush meat for now. My advice to Nigerians is that they should keep strictly and religiously to measures of personal hygiene coming from the medics and veterinarians.”

Avong also maintained that Nigerians should keep to the measures given by observing strict hygiene principles, but urged more proactive steps in handling wild animals identified as carriers of the virus.

“While measures given by the Federal Ministry of Health are observed, other proactive measures should be taken in stopping the further spread of the virus from the animal population.

“Nigerians should not take things for granted because countries where outbreak of Ebola virus occurred are not far from Nigeria, and animals like fruit bats could traverse between Nigeria and those countries, and that is why fruits like mangoes, oranges and others are washed properly before eating.

“After coming in contact with animals people should properly wash their hands, and avoid their droppings and urine to come in contact with food they eat. Nigerians should avoid bush meat, and anyone who finds dead animals in the wild should not handle them but should report to the veterinarian nearest for proper disposal of the carcass.”

Avong also stated that movement of nomads could pose danger in spreading the dreaded Ebola virus, and called for caution, as they were possible carriers of animal-to-man diseases.

He further explained that nomads across the borders could move into the country with the virus via their cattle, which could have come in contact with wild animals that carry the virus.

Ghana denies banning Nigerian flights

Also, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority yesterday officially denied banning flights from Nigeria as a result of the recent cases of Ebola infections and death recorded in Nigeria.

A statement from the Ghana Aviation Authority said “The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority’s attention has been drawn to an online publication on the above subject on Saturday, 2nd August, 2014 and we wish to state emphatically that the publication is erroneous and misleading.”

The statement further noted: “The GCAA as the sole Regulator of the Air Transport industry and Provider of Air Navigation Service in the country has not banned any airline from Nigeria and other African country from operating to Ghana because of suspicion that the flights might be carrying passengers with the Ebola virus.

“We can confirm that flight operations to and from Nigeria and other African countries are normal without any interruption. The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority wishes to assure passengers and the general public that it is working with all stakeholders to ensure that the Kotoka International Airport and all other airports in the country remain safe and secure. “

It will be recalled that last week, workers of the aviation agencies operating at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja were sensitized by Port Health officials on the dangers posed by the Ebola virus and how to prevent the spread of the virus in the work place, home and the community.

According to Yakubu Dati , Coordinating General Manager, Communication, Aviation Parastatals, “The awareness campaign was carried out to complement other measures already put in place by Port Health at the country’s international airports to prevent the presence and spread of the Ebola virus in Nigeria.”

Speaking on the sensitization in Abuja, the Director, Port Services of the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Sani Gwarzo charged aviation stakeholders to be abreast of dangers posed by the Ebola virus and how to prevent the spread of the virus in the airport.

“At MMA for example, Port Health personnel have been deployed to the two arrival halls for the purpose of testing arriving passengers for signs and symptoms of the deadly virus. Arriving passengers are to be processed first by Port Health personnel who are expected to carry out necessary tests on every passenger with special devices that do not permit physical contact. Those found to be free of any signs or symptoms would proceed to the Immigration area for other formalities.”

“A holding area has been provided at the tarmac for suspected cases while index cases are expected to be isolated in a designated area outside the airport for further examination and treatment.“

Obama rejects Nigeria’s request for trial Ebola drug

U.S., UK condemn Jos explosion

The United States and Britain yesterday condemned the “vicious” bombing in Jos as well as a series of “terrorist acts” on defenceless civilians.

“The US government strongly condemns the multiple bomb blasts in the city of Jos yesterday, as well as the bombing in the Sabon-Gari neighborhood of the city of Kano on May 18 that have resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement, adding that the attacks were “unconscionable, terrorist acts demanding accountability and justice”.

In another statement by the US Embassy in Abuja, the US noted that the attacks demonstrated the criminality of the perpetrators who continue to target defenceless civilians.

The statement reads: “The U.S Embassy in Abuja strongly condemns the multiple bomb blasts in the city of Jos on May 20, as well as the bombing in the Sabon-Gari neighborhood of the city of Kano on May 18.  These vicious attacks on Nigerian civilians and the abduction last month of more than 200 girls in Chibok are unconscionable acts and starkly demonstrate the criminality of the perpetrators who continue to target defenseless civilians.

“We have seen reports that tensions are high in Jos, and we join the voices of those who are appealing for calm.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims.

“The United States met last weekend in Paris with Nigerian authorities as well as our partners and allies to discuss the way forward on confronting the regional security threat Boko Haram poses to Nigeria and West Africa.

“Countries agreed to work together to establish a regional counterterrorism strategy, strengthen regional cooperation, including with respect to intelligence sharing and border security, and mobilize support for sanctions against Boko Haram at the United Nations.

“The search for the missing school girls of Chibok is ongoing.  The Nigerians are in the lead.  We’re continuing to lend our unique assets and capabilities to assist in the search.

“We continue to stand with the Nigerian government and people as they grapple with violent extremism.”

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said:

“I condemn this cowardly, inhumane crime. My thoughts are with those who have been bereaved or injured.

“This attack on the market was a transparent effort to create tension between different groups in a city well known for its diversity where people of different ethnicities and religions live alongside each other. It has resulted in death and tragedy for both Christians and Muslims alike.

“I welcome the restraint shown by the population in the face of this provocation and reiterate the United Kingdom’s continued support to the people of Nigeria.

“Last weekend in Paris the international community and regional leaders made clear their collective determination to support Nigeria and defeat the scourge of terrorism. The Jos attack has only strengthened our resolve.”

U.S., UK condemn Jos explosion

Abuja Explosion: Obama condemns ‘senseless’ bombing

 

(AFP) – The United States on Monday condemned a bomb attack on a packed bus station in Nigeria which killed 71 people, and called for a full investigation.

“We are outraged by this senseless act of violence against innocent civilians,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters, also condemning a series of attacks on three villages in Borno State over the weekend.

The bomb, which also injured 124 people, rocked the Nyanya station on Abuja’s southern outskirts as it was filled with morning commuters, leaving body parts scattered across the terminal and destroying dozens of vehicles.

President Goodluck Jonathan blamed Boko Haram militants for the attack, but Psaki called for a “full investigation to identify and bring justice to the perpetrators of these attacks.”

“We continue to stand with the Nigerian government and people as they grapple with violent extremism,” she added.

 

Abuja Explosion: Obama condemns ‘senseless’ bombing