ABUJA (Reuters) - The United States urged Nigeria to tackle an Islamist insurgency in the north by bringing jobs and development to the deprived region, and it pledged to support Abuja in the task.
U.S. Under Secretary for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman said on Monday that the United States was looking to establish a consulate in Kano, Nigeria's biggest northern city and a recent target of attacks, as well as a number of other ways to help it fight radical Islamist sect Boko Haram.
The group, which styles itself on the Taliban, has been blamed for almost daily shootings and bombings that have killed hundreds of people in the past two years.
"Regarding the security concern, we agree with President Jonathan that this must be holistic approach. That it is about security, it is about development, it is about jobs," Sherman said during the first stop of an African tour that also takes in Zambia and Kenya.
"Together we will do whatever we can, from intelligence sharing, to assistance, to development, to security training."
Some have accused President Goodluck Jonathan of an over-reliance on security measures to defeat Boko Haram rather than addressing northerners' underlying grievances, such as unemployment, which provide the group with a well of eager recruits.
In an interview with Reuters in January, the president acknowledged that quelling the insurgency would have to involve addressing the north's economic concerns, including a perception that it has been excluded from an oil-fuelled boom centered in the south.
Analysts say the remote northeastern state of Borno, where the sect is based, is as poor as some of Africa's most impoverished countries.
KANO BATTLEGROUND
Washington's plan to open a consulate in Kano comes as violent Islamist movements spread across West Africa and evidence is emerging of links between Boko Haram and al Qaeda's north African wing, which has several bases in the Sahara.
"We are working very hard in seeing if we can open a consulate in Kano," the State Department's no. 3 told journalists after meeting Junior Foreign Minister Viola Onwuliri.
The city, a trading hub for centuries, was the scene of Boko Haram's deadliest attack to date when it killed 186 people in coordinated gun and bomb attacks in January.
On Monday, suspected members of the sect riding motorbikes shot dead two policeman in Kano, local police commissioner Ibrahim Idris told Reuters.
"The hoodlums escaped with bullet wounds. They abandoned their motorcycle and took to their heels but we are chasing them."
Nigeria's military said it had killed five Boko Haram militants and arrested two others a day earlier, as they tried to burn down a secondary school in Borno State.
Suspected sect members have torched 10 schools in northeastern Nigeria the past few days, say authorities, in what would be a new twist in the insurgency.
Boko Haram's name means "Western education is sinful," after the anti-Western teachings of its early spiritual leader Mohammed Yusuf, who was killed in police custody in 2009.
(Additional reporting by Ibrahim Mshelizza in Maiduguri and Bala Adamu in Kano; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Ben Harding)

http://news.yahoo.com/u-nigeria-develop-north-beat-boko-haram-180240767.html

Exactly.
Even the US knows only the North can do it.
The South is full of NOISY COWARDS OF ABIJAN!

the looted funds in the 80s and 89s were meant for devekoping the north should naija breakup.
where are the funds now?
the north has more millionaires than the whole M in uk.

I thought the Boko Haramists do not want Education?

Education is the basis for proper development. I heard schools are being burnt.
The Mutallab of guy, was it development that was his problem? Was Osama's problem development?

As much as we are to pursue development of every Nigerian town, let us not be deceived that the Jihardists will surrender their "Allah" given mandate to fight "infidels".

Extremist don't want education rather blood. The BH people are largely men with retard minds to accept responsibility for life and work.

Duh!

@US, have you not heard that they say education is dangerous? thaty they want the whole nigeria to be sharia nation of which it is not possible? All they want is sucking blood and become desolate.
God will punish them.

BH is koran inspired.

and develop the black people in their country first.

desert devlopment.imagine hausa/almajiri pple enjoying life!

Story. So it is their ploy to ask for more money. You can go and lobby USA to cry for you but you are wasting your time. When you were allocating states to every family, you thought Oil money will be used to develop it. Explore your solid minerals and develop your states.

The oil money has not even developed all the Niger Delta States let alone the north

The Northerners have dominated Governance in Nigeria what did they do for their people

They can open consulate anywhere they want but they should not try to tell Nigeria what to do. They should look at the allocations to each states and see who is underdeveloped or how can we create job in the north? By Agip going to open HQ there? If USA want land in Kano, they should go and buy from the Emirs, but they should not act as if they are sympathizing with them cos the poorest state in Nigeria is Ebonyi yet they are not terrorists

How will the north be developed when their leaders are busy looting their money without any development.

@POST

Arrant nonsense from overfed fo.ols from USA who knew nothing about what they spew. Have they asked who developed the south? Northern elites have led Nigeria for years and channeled everything worthy of economic development to northern region yet they were interested in propagating Almajiri schools in every nooks and crannies of northern region.

This idiotic USA under Secretary for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman should realize there is no iota of presence of federal government of Nigeria in Igbo land. Anything worthy of comment in Igbo land is due to individual entrepreneurship. Problem of certain part of northern region is living with archaic Islamic doctrines.

The latest instalment of 'This Week in Nigeria'-Thousands mourn at Ojukwu’s burial, Nigerian Football Federation faces examination, Guinness Nigeria continues to grow & much more!

http://thinkafricapress.com/nigeria/blog/week-nigeria-ojukwu-buried

Sanusi said tackling poverty/resource distribution is key to solving the violence in teh North, he was labelled a bigot and BH member
Bill Clinton said practically same few days later, it was rationalized
US government is also saying something within the context, I have not heard anyone say US is also BH.

Even if we disagree with these views, intellectual rebuttals should be put forward and practical alternatives put forward rather than label the advocates!

Over the years now the northerners have being leading this country of ours. Where are the allocations being given to them? Their mission to me is to this country to a one religious country.

I expect America to play such card, they are neither here nor there but open to business with any party that favours their interest. Under northern watch, the oil in the south was thoroughly exploited with land owners massacred to guarantee supply and profit for american chevron Texaco.etc

The last thing America wants is all this talk of resource control in the present economic down turn with Russia and China economy on the boom. GEJ should be very careful becos oil is the name of the game and America is loving the present Nigeria set-up that keeps the President from niger delta in a weaker position.

They did rather have a northerner ideally without MEND, that way no accountability and responsibility to locals.

[size=18pt]These US guys are a bunch of morons. I  would advise the Nigerdelta to up their violent assault on oil companies too. So that they too can enjoy from this proposed development. After-all it is their lands that are being ravaged by WESTERN OIL COMPANIES (AMERICAN COMPANIES INCLUSIVE).[/size]

Jarus:

Sanusi said tackling poverty/resource distribution is key to solving the violence in teh North, he was labelled a bigot and BH member
Bill Clinton said practically same few days later, it was rationalized
US government is also saying something within the context, I have not heard anyone say US is also BH.

Even if we disagree with these views, intellectual rebuttals should be put forward and practical alternatives put forward rather than label the advocates!

Read my posts and you will see what I have said. USA should shut their trap. If you are in Ilorin enjoying fresh air do you know how polluted our air in Niger Delta is? When the northern leaders in the past was allocating states to individuals, what were they thinking of? What has been given to SE after the civil war yet their states are being developed?

Let us call spade a spade. If the north is not developed, their leaders should be held responsible and not the allocation formula.

I know you have a mixed blood from the north or you are looking for favour from Sanusi or the north, but try to say the truth I must advise.

How much goes to states like Ebonyi and Enugu that do not receive the 13% oil money? Are they terrorists?

Let the northern youths engage in meaningful activities instead of staying on the street begging for food in the name of almajiri. With that kind of education, will you employ any of them to work for you?

Let them account for all they have done with their allocations from 1999 till date then we can now listen to them

To crown it all, they are all thie.fs

phreakabit:

[size=18pt]These US guys are a bunch of morons. I  would advise the Nigerdelta to up their violent assault on oil companies too. So that they too can enjoy from this proposed development. After-all it is their lands that are being ravaged by WESTERN OIL COMPANIES (AMERICAN COMPANIES INCLUSIVE).[/size]

Brother what you trying to say is, the MEND violent and every every should continue!!!!

Good talk

USA looks at the vest empty lands in northern region of Nigeria and thinks through contracts to USA companies would turn deserts in Nigeria into Las Vergas. If there should be sudden disintegration of Nigeria, it will be last country I would want to set feet in Igbo land. I had rather go with China or even Russia as close ally than USA. Probably, the southern Nigerian should start killing non-indigenes and burning Masques so that this moronic ninny should realize there is uncontrollable poverty in southern Nigeria too.

Anybody who knew the history of Nigeria and still come out to spew this crap on official capacity is not friend to Nigeria talk less of southern Nigeria. I can not wait any longer to see the disintegration of Nigeria so that each emerging nation state could take care of poverty within its pace.

US of A like to speak with both sides its mouth. They should come out and say they're the ones funding bokoharam; and stop supporting them indirectly.

USA looks at the vest empty lands in northern region of Nigeria and thinks through contracts to USA companies would turn deserts in Nigeria into Las Vergas. If there should be sudden disintegration of Nigeria, it will be last country I would want to set feet in Igbo land. I had rather go with China or even Russia as close ally than USA. Probably, the southern Nigerian should start killing non-indigenes and burning Masques so that this moronic ninny should realize there is uncontrollable poverty in southern Nigeria too.

Nwanne, if Nigeria eventually breaks up - will you still visit your favourite nkwobi joint in ala-lagos - and your isi ewu joint in Ibadan??

what kind of job do the north want when BH denounce education. politics?

Exactly.
Even the US knows only the North can do it.
The South is full of NOISY COWARDS OF ABIJAN!

Poster as you called the South Coward definitely you are big Moroons and Baboon in human skin I have ever seen.

First of all to H E L L  with that U.S a s s hole jelly head that says the headlines of this thread. Nigerians are in no way begging Boko animals to stop if they like they should stop if they they should continue.

I will say a million time that I will be the last to blame Fed. Govt for lack of development in the North, because these animals has rule Nigeria for ages and nothing absolutely they show to their region or done for their region. This baboons has millions to place on table for the head of SSS chief but can not used thousands to erect just primary school building for their own people. These jingolo cow heads has the cash to run and promote terrorism, jihadism and blood sucking business but can not divert it to build their region. By the way is it not the same allocation the Fed.Govt gave other region were given to them?. What are they doing while other region busy developing their own region? But they are busy promoting Almanjiri, suicide bombers, Sharia madness, religious violent and say education is a crime isnit

They will wait till eternity for Fed Govt to develop them and they will have to tell the whole world "if it was Fed Govt that develop Abia, Enugu, Onitsha, Ibadan, Ondo, Warri, Benin etc. Since they refuse to be enlighten and they are crying for development they will wait and keep waiting forever ok. Lazy things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Nonsense

US and fellow Western Thieves has never supported d interest of southern nigeria. we know who our real allies re
china, russia, israel

US and fellow Western Thieves has never supported d interest of southern nigeria. we know who our real allies re
china, russia, israel

Northern leaders should develop the north and southern leaders should develop their region. Our common-wealth cannot exclusively be used to develop the north especially when there's a federal character in-place.

People that forbids education how do u want to develop bunch of illiterate who prefer to memorize quo ran to western education? See how they are burning schools everywhere and the us wants other region to starve becos they want to develop almajiris. They should get used to poverty, blood suckers.