Hilary Matfess, Quartz: Nigeria needs more military reforms to take on Boko Haram—not more weapons
During one of his final appearances in a much-hyped official visit to the United States, which included high-level meetings with President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry General Muhammadu Buhari was uncharacteristically blunt for a politician.
In prepared remarks to an over-capacity crowd at the United States Institute for Peace, the new President accused the Leahy Amendment of “aiding and abetting Boko Haram” by preventing the Nigerian government from accessing the military technology necessary to put down the brutal insurgency.
The statement was all the more brazen given that days before, the Nigerian government had conducted a raid on the home of former National Security Advisor, Sambo Dasuki, which “recovered sophisticated arms and ammunitions, military related gears and 12 new vehicles, including five bullet-proof cars from Mr. Dasuki’s home,” suggesting that the fight against Boko Haram has been hamstrung by the quality of personnel, not the technology, of the Nigerian security sector.
WNU Editor: Corruption, incompetence, a lack of political will, tribal and sectarian differences .... this sums up the problems that Nigeria is facing .... even before it starts to confront Boko Haram. This is why more weapons will not solve this crisis .... and it will definitely not be enough to defeat Boko Haram.
