United States congressman, Stephen Lynch, has met separately with some sena‎tors to foster a way to work together to bring an end to the activities of Boko Haram in Nigeria.

Speaking when he paid Sen Bukola Saraki a visit in his office yesterday, Lynch, who is in Nigeria to meet with United States security and counter terrorism personnel and Nigeria leaders to review embassy security following recent bombings in Maiduguri and Boko Haram’s pledge to join forces with‎ Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), said they wanted to know what role the US could play to help.
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Speaking with newsmen after a closed door meeting with the senator, he said, “I was asking the senators on how the United States advice on how the United States could be more helpful on a number of issues and for some great opportunity for us to work together in facing the threat of Boko Haram and the need for coordination and the need to try to bring a sense of urgency for with the insurgency, coming on the heels of the one year anniversary of the abduction in Chibok and he impressed on our need to work closely together in being more vigilant in trying to bring those girls back.”
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On efforts being made by his country to free kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls one year after the incident, Lynch said, “Right now we are using US and French Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), to show from an aerial view, the activities of Boko Haram and that information is given to the Nigerian armed forces so that they can use that information to know the strength, the deployment and the strategy of Boko Haram. I think that part of the recent victories of last few weeks have been the result of that coordination between our technical support and the excellent military skill of the Nigerian forces.”

Responding, Senator Bukola Saraki said the visit shows that the United States is interested in Nigeria’s progress, forthcoming elections and urged for further collaboration and cooperation.

He said, “It further shows the interest that the world and particularly, the United States, has in Nigeria and the need for further collaboration. Like he said, he is here in Nigeria to see how the world is focusing concern in some of our challenges in the area of security and their cooperation and we appreciate that.
And,  particularly, we appreciate the United States in the security support they have given even in the electoral processes to ensure that we have credible elections. I think the key thing is that we must see that the world is looking at us and that we have a key role to play. We must ensure that we have live up to that standard. For us, it is just to emphasise that they are interested in Nigeria and we appreciate that and I think that is the point of their visit here.”