Abuja: US Secretary of States Hillary Clinton has urged Nigeria to increase its counter-insurgency capabilities to tackle the rising extremist violence, even as she promised to aid the oil rich nation.
Clinton, who is on an eleven-nations tour of the African continent, on Thursday promised that her country would also help Nigeria secure its porous borders through which foreign elements suspected to be affiliated to Islamic insurgent group, Boko Haram enter the country.
She met briefly with Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan, on her way to the funeral of late Ghanaian President John Attah Mills in Ghana.
The anticipated assistance US may give to Nigeria include provision of help to improve Nigeria's forensics and investigative techniques.
Clinton also met with Nigeria's National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki and the service chiefs.
She also said the US is ready to help Nigeria monitor the movement of goods, particularly munitions and explosive devices trafficked to the Islamic sect through the borders of Nigeria and Cameroon.
On the issue of insurgency, Washington will also help Nigeria grow intelligence coordination centres that would aid in harmonizing information that could be passed on to foreign intelligence agencies.
US had labelled the Boko Haram leader, Iberahim Shekau, a terrorist but did not include the group, which has killed hundreds of people in northern Nigeria, on the list of terror organisations.
The group abhors Western education and wants to install an Islamic caliphate in northern Nigeria.
PTI
First Published: Friday, August 10, 2012, 10:52