Combating Boko Haram Urgent But Human Rights Issue Needs Resolving say Susan Rice by Benson Agoha

* Gunmen Suspected Members Of Boko Haram terror group.

The United States remains vital partner of Nigeria and strongly supports the country's fight against terrorism, say United States Security Advisor, Susan Rice.

When suspected members of Boko Haram, an extremist gang aiming to turn Nigeria into an Ismalic State and which has since been classified as a terror group by United States, attacked a Church and killed 60 Christians on Sunday, 26th January, 2014, President Goodluck Jonathan was not in doubt that something needed to be done urgengly.

* St Pauls Church attacked in the lates Boko Haram attacks in which about 60 people lost their lives.

The Nigerian Leader has since reorganised the leadership of the Country's security agencies and on February 3 held a security council meeting with the new Service Chiefs.

Despite the attack on Sunday, further killings took place four days later, when on the Friday 31st January, 2014, eight people were killed in another religious violence in Nigeria. Among the dead included a Christian family of seven. At the same time, a roadside bomb reportely killed seven others in an area known for Boko Haram activity.

The latest wave of attacks raised further questions about the government's strategy to end the bloodshed and revamp the military.

This is just as well because the attack on a Church to place in the village of Waga Chakawa in Adamawa, home state to Nigeria's new chief of defence staff, Air Marshall Alex Badeh. He has in turn pledged to defeat Boko Haram by the end of April.

* Survivors after the attack. This photo shows displaced Nigerians following the last Boko Haram church massacre on Sunday January 2014.

But in supporting the effort to urgently combat the activities of Boko Haram, Susan Rice said legitimate grieviances need to be resolved and human rights respected, even as the cycle of violence in Northern Nigeria needs to be broken.

* Twitter: @bensonagoha.

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