The United States strongly condemns the recent attacks in northeastern Nigeria inflicted by Boko Haram that took the lives of six people in a church in Potiskum, as well as more than 140 lives near a Mosque in Kukawa. We offer our deepest sympathy and condolences to the families and the friends of the victims. We will continue to support Nigeria’s efforts to bring those responsible for these attacks, as well as previous attacks, to justice.

As we have said before, the people of northern Nigeria deserve to live free from violence and from terror. The United States continues to provide counterterrorism assistance to help Nigerian authorities develop a comprehensive approach to combat the threat posed by Boko Haram. We commend the efforts by the Nigerian military, as well as the militaries of Chad, Niger, and Cameroon for the gains they have made fighting against Boko Haram.

The United States stands with the Nigerian people in their struggle against violent extremism. We will continue to work closely with the Nigerian Government and our international partners to combat Boko Haram and assist its many victims.