US Lawmakers Stop Sale of Arms Worth $875m To Nigeria

Lawmakers of the United States are holding down a proposed sale of attack helicopters to Nigeria amid mounting concerns about the Muhammadu Buhari regime’s human rights record and the government’s role in the #EndSARS protest, as it grapples with multiple security crises.

Reports had noted that US lawmakers on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee called for delayed clearing of another batch of 12 AH-1 Cobra attack helicopters and accompanying defence systems to be sold to the Nigerian military to further strengthen the country’s fight against terrorism. The deal is worth $875 million, according to US officials and congressional aides familiar with the matter.

In addition to the helicopters, the proposed sale included 28 helicopter engines produced by GE Aviation, 14 military-grade aircraft navigation systems made by Honeywell, and 2,000 advanced precision kill weapon systems—laser-guided rocket munitions, according to information sent by the State Department to Congress and reviewed by Foreign Policy magazine.

A report by Foreign Policy on Tuesday said the behind-the-scenes controversy over the proposed arms sale illustrates a broader debate among Washington policymakers over how to balance national security with human rights objectives.

The hold on the sale also showcases how powerful US lawmakers want to push the Biden administration to rethink US relations with Nigeria amid overarching concerns that Buhari is drifting toward authoritarianism as his government is besieged by multiple security challenges, including the Boko Haram insurgency.

But Western governments and international human rights organisations have ramped up their criticisms of the Buhari regime, particularly in the wake of its ban on Twitter, systemic corruption issues, and the Nigerian military’s role in deadly crackdowns on #EndSARS protesters last October.

Chairperson of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Bob Menendez, called for a “fundamental rethink of the framework of our overall engagement” with Nigeria during a Senate hearing with US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken in June.

Both Menendez and Sen. Jim Risch, a top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, have placed a hold on the proposed arms sale, according to multiple US officials and congressional aides familiar with the matter, who spoke to Foreign Policy on condition of anonymity.

“There is this Leahy law which is US human rights laws that prohibits the US Department of State and Department of Defence from providing military assistance to foreign security force units that violate human rights with impunity.

“Under President Muhammadu Buhari, when former President Obama was in power, he decided to be flexible with the Leahy laws and that is why some equipment have been sold to Nigeria.

Administration officials say they are tired of regular efforts by Capitol Hill to review arms

“There doesn’t have to be a reason why we don’t provide weapons or equipment to the Nigerian military,” said Judd Devermont, director of the Africa program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank. “But it has to be done with an assessment of how it will actually, one, change the direction of conflict in Nigeria, and, two, that they will use it consistent with our laws. In both cases, it’s either a question mark or a fail.”

“I’m sure it’s a difficult situation. There are so many conflicts springing up across the country now,” Ewang said.

“The authorities, I presume, are trying to do the best they can to save lives and properties. But this must be done in accordance with human rights standards. You can’t throw one out just to be able to achieve the other.”