Nigeria expects UN to sanction Boko Haram

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Nigeria’s U.N. envoy says she expects the Security Council to declare Boko Haram a terrorist group and impose sanctions on the al-Qaida-linked extremists who have carried out a wave of deadly attacks and the recent abduction of nearly 300 schoolgirls.

“I don’t think there will be any objections,” Ambassador U. Joy Ogwu told several reporters on Wednesday.

Nigeria, which is serving a two-year term on the council, asked the committee monitoring sanctions against al-Qaida to add Boko Haram to the list of organizations subject to an arms embargo and asset freeze. Unless any of the 14 other council member object by a Thursday afternoon deadline, Boko Haram will be added to the al-Qaida sanctions list.

Ogwu said “the important thing is to attack the problem, and that is terrorism.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up