Nigeria says US support lacking in Boko Haram battle

'Nigeria's envoy to Washington criticized U.S. support in the battle against Boko Haram militants as insufficient, including failure to share enough intelligence and sell needed weaponry to fight the Islamist group.

Ambassador Ade Adefuye, in remarks posted on the Nigerian Embassy's website on Tuesday, appealed for greater backing from Washington and rejected claims of human rights abuses that have limited some U.S. military assistance.

"Our people are not very happy with the content of America's support in the struggle against Boko Harm," Adefuye said in an address.

"There is no use giving us the type of support that enables us to deliver light jabs to the terrorists when what we need to give them is the killer punch."

Asked about the remarks, an Obama administration official said Washington remained committed to helping Nigeria address its extremist threat and supported its efforts free Boko Haram's kidnap victims.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, who faces an election in February, has come under sharpening public criticism for his government's apparent inability to check Boko Haram's five-year insurgency, which has ravaged the poor northeast corner of Africa's biggest economy.