John Kerry, U.S Secretary of States
United States military officials are arriving Nigeria Friday to join local officials in the search for nearly 300 school girls taken captive by the Islamist extremist group, Boko Haram, the US Secretary of State John Kerry, and the defence department, Pentagon, said.
“Our interagency team is hitting the ground in Nigeria now and they are going to be working … with President Goodluck Jonathan’s government to do everything that we possibly can to return these girls,” Mr. Kerry said early Friday.
The small team of seven will join advisers supporting local efforts to find the girls abducted over three weeks ago, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral, John Kirby, who serves as Pentagon press secretary, said according CNN.
Mr. Kerry said the US team, working with the Nigerian government, would do everything possible to free the girls and everything possible to stop the atrocities of Boko Haram.
“We are also going to do everything possible to counter the menace of Boko Haram,” Mr. Kerry said. “The entire world should not only be condemning this outrage but should be doing everything possible to help Nigeria in the days ahead.”
But there are no plans to send American combat troops into Nigeria, Mr. Kirby said.
The abduction of the school girls on April 14 in a remote community in Borno State, one of the most shocking terrorist acts by Boko Haram yet, has drawn widespread anger around the world with calls for a swift action.
The Nigerian government has come under fire after it took President Goodluck Jonathan three weeks to speak on the attack and begin some efforts to free the girls.
Mr. Jonathan said Thursday that the kidnapping will be “the beginning of end” of Boko Haram.
US President Barack Obama has said he hopes the abduction by Boko Haram will galvanize the international community to act against the brutal group that has directed much of its cruelty on civilians and the innocent.
This week, more than 100 people were killed in a busy market by militants suspected to be from the group. The attack occurred in Gamboru Ngala, Borno State, near the Nigerian border with Cameroun.
Besides the United States, Britain, France and China have also offered to help rescue the stolen girls.
Mr. Obama said the team sent to Nigeria comprised personnel from military, law enforcement and other agencies.
France says it will station 3,000 troops in Nigeria’s neighbouring countries to help fight militants in the Sahel region.
British satellites and advanced tracking capabilities also will be used, and China has promised to provide any intelligence gathered by its satellite network.
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