Vice President Namadi Sambo on Friday urged the U.S. to assist Nigeria in training its military and security agencies to address security challenges.
Sambo made the appeal when he received the U.S. Deputy Assistant Ambassador, Vickei Huddleston, at the State House, Abuja.
He said terrorism was a new phenomenon in Nigeria and praised the efforts of the nation’s security agencies for checking the menace.
Sambo said within one year of the violence in the country, the security agencies were able to apprehend the culprits, including the vehicles used for the Oct. 1, 2010 bombings in Abuja .
The vice president specifically requested for the provision of specialist equipment for the security services.
He regretted the challenges currently being faced in the coastal areas and thanked the U.S. for its support in providing a ship that would aid surveillance.
Sambo, however, called for the development of policies that would promote international peace and cooperation, adding that the Federal Government was committed to addressing the issue of infrastructure development.
In her remarks, Huddleston informed the vice president that she was in the country to follow up on the discussions held between President Goodluck Jonathan and President Barrack Obama.
She expressed the willingness of the U.S. to dialogue and broaden its relationship with Nigeria by assisting it to overcome military as well as security challenges.