U.S. Weighs Training Nigerian Forces for Terror Fight

On the heels of President Obama’s meeting with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, the U.S. may be looking to help train Nigerian law enforcement officials to fight Boko Haram, Islamic State and other extremist organizations in the region, analysts say.

Under a Department of Justice international criminal investigative training assistance program, the department could train Nigerian officers on international standards for human rights and dignity and combating transnational crime. The Department of Justice does not currently have a training program in Nigeria, and last provided training to Nigerian officials to bolster election security, according to a DOJ fact sheet.

Analysts say Mr. Buhari’s defeat of incumbent President Jonathan Goodluck in widely praised democratic elections this spring has opened the path for greater U.S. cooperation with the government in Abuja.

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“Last year, Jonathan ended cooperation with the U.S. military,” said Foundation for Defense of Democracies Senior Fellow Bill Roggio. “So I think you’ll see police training, military training and probably shared military intelligence.”

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