US speaks on Taliban overrunning Nigeria

The US has reacted to the torrents of analyses that swept through Nigeria in the wake of the US and coalition forces pulling out of Afghanistan, and the Taliban taking overthe Asian country.

Many analysts and spiritualists sprang up with doomsday predictions on how the Taliban and Boko Haram will soon over-run Nigeria in spite of he US security assistance.

Mary Leonard, US ambassador to Nigeria, thinks those analyses are very off the mark.

“I hear people making the analogy with Afghanistan a lot. It does not match up,” she told newsmen August 30 in Abuja.

National seers armchair analysts, the opposition, and others gave their takes on how President Muhammadu Buhari is following the American patter in tackling Islamic extremists in Nigeria.

‘’I am seeing a sect like Taliban coming up Africa, they are coming in a big form to attack African countries like Burundi, Mali, Central Africa Republic, Benin Republic, Chad, Niger Republic and Nigeria,” Primate Elijah Ayodele said.

But the US can’t see the connection.

“That is a different construct. The sovereign nations have had strong bilateral relations. I don’t actually think the two match up.

“When you listen to what President Biden said on how troops went to Afghanistan in the first place, it was because they were in a horrible tragedy, over 3,000 Americans were killed,” she said.

According to her, Nigeria and the US have strong bilateral relations—unlike Afghanistan.