[ACCI-CAVIE] The Biden administration has given Nigeria the green light to buy nearly $1 billion worth of advanced attack helicopters, despite concerns about human rights in the country as it battles threats from criminal gangs and extremists in the north.

The U.S. State Department announced in late April 2022 the approval of a $997 million sale of 24 Bell AH-1Z Viper helicopters and related equipment to Nigeria. The related equipment includes guidance, night vision and targeting systems as well as engines and training support, the department said in a notice to Congress.

The sale came after a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Abuja in November 2021, during which he raised concerns about human rights in Nigeria. At the time, however, Antony Blinken also made it clear that the U.S. considers Nigeria a partner in the fight against terrorism and Islamic extremism in West Africa and the Sahel.

“This proposed sale will support U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives by enhancing the security of a strategic partner in sub-Saharan Africa,” the department told the U.S. Congress.

Police brutality

The agreement will also “better equip Nigeria to contribute to shared security objectives, promote regional stability, and enhance interoperability with the United States and other Western partners” and “will be a major contribution to U.S. and Nigerian security objectives,” the notice said.

Nigeria’s security forces have long been accused of human rights violations in their operations, with personnel involved often escaping justice. In October 2020, the military opened fire on a demonstration in the country’s economic center where hundreds of people were protesting police brutality, killing 11 people and injuring many others, according to a government-backed panel.

During a visit in November 2021, Antony Blinken said the U.S. looked forward to seeing the full results of the investigation and would decide on arms sales to Nigeria based on the findings and accountability, among other things.

Armed gangs

Nigeria also faces a growing threat from armed gangs and extremist rebels who are now collaborating in the country’s troubled northwest and threatening to further destabilize an already volatile region.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country with 206 million people, is plagued by violence in the north and an alliance between the two groups could worsen the crisis, analysts say.

By AP