Boko Haram crisis: Nigeria fury over US arms refusal

Nigeria's ambassador to the US has criticised Washington for refusing to sell his government "lethal" weapons to fight militant Islamists.

Nigeria needed support to deliver the "killer punch", not "light jabs" against the Boko Haram group, Adebowale Ibidapo Adefuye said.

His comments came as the militants seized the north-eastern Mahia town.

The US has previously ruled out heavily arming the Nigerian military because of its alleged poor human rights record.

Meanwhile, Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan has formally declared himself as the governing People's Democratic Party's candidate (PDP) presidential candidate for February's election at a colourful ceremony in the capital, Abuja.He called for a minute of silence for the 46 teenage boys who were killed in Monday's suicide bombing at a school in Potiskum town in Yobe, one of the three north-eastern states under a state of emergency because of Boko Haram's insurgency.