THE United States has approved a nearly $1 billion weapons sale to Nigeria after lawmakers had put a hold on the deal over concerns about possible human rights abuses by the Nigerian government. In July, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee put a hold on the sale of 12 AH-1Z Cobra attack helicopters made by Bell. On Thursday, the State Department made the determination that it would approve the sale of the attack helicopters worth $997 million. "This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United…