Freeing Nigerian girls ‘is top US priority’

WASHINGTON: A US official says that freeing 276 Nigerian girls from Boko Haram is a top US priority.
The State Department’s Robert Jackson says the militant group “has no regard for human life.”
He says the US is helping Nigerian intelligence and law enforcement, and seeking global sanctions on Boko Haram.
Jackson is testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
His written testimony was posted online.
The girls’ recent abduction from a remote Nigerian school has triggered global outrage.
Jackson said Washington has urged Nigeria to reform its approach to the group.
“When soldiers destroy towns, kill civilians and detain innocent people with impunity, mistrust takes root,” he said.
The US Defense Department’s Alice Friend says Boko Haram’s reach is expanding, and attacks are getting more sophisticated and deadlier.
The group is “capable of directly and successfully engaging Nigeria’s armed forces.”
She says, “In general, Nigeria has failed to mount an effective campaign against Boko Haram.”
“The department has been deeply concerned for some time by how much the Government of Nigeria has struggled to keep pace with Boko Haram’s growing capabilities,” Friend said.
Friend said it was “troubling” that atrocities have been perpetrated by some Nigerian forces during operations against Boko Haram.