THE Acting Assistant Director of United States (US) Diplomatic Security’s Threat Investigations and Analysis Directorate, Kurt Rice, and David Gilmour, Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs have emphasised US readiness to pay the $7 million reward for information that will lead to the arrest of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau.
Speaking in a telephone press conference on a new U.S. Counterterrorism Initiative for West African countries at the US Embassy in Lagos Rice said:
“We have paid over 125 million dollars to over eighty people who have provided information to us in the past. That is a very good track record. We make sure that their information are kept confidential and safe.”
He disclosed that they simply take information. “We value the information. We consider the injuries to the person that has given us the information and to the family. That is how we decide how much of the reward can be given. It is the system that has worked since 1984,” he said.
He said that they would be looking at the threats posed by a given terrorist, the severance of the danger or injuries to the US persons or property. “And then also as far as the value of the information provided and then the degree of certain cooperation in any subsequent investigation trials.
These are the things that will determine the reward as well as paying out reward,” he said.
He said that a comprehensive approach has to be taken to the problem of terrorism. “When you try to address a problem like this, you need to build confidence of the population. The government has to do that by providing a range of services. What we advise the Nigerian government to do is to take a more comprehensive approach to address most of the social and economic issues in the North,” he advised.
He said that the government should try and get the information about the insurgents. “The roles journalist can play is that of getting information about terrorists. Providing the information to the US government will be useful,” he said.
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