UN, Troops Give Different Account on Borno Ambush

Military: report on attack on UN workers grossly misrepresented
Paul Obi in Abuja

The United Nations on Monday warned that continued ambush of humanitarian workers by Boko Haram terrorists could affect UN intervention and assistance to the needy in the North-east, where there has been a resurgence of attacks and killings by the sect in the last two months.

This came as the Nigerian Army denied that four UN staff had been killed and four trucks conveying food for internally displaced persons (IDPs) were carted away.

Boko Haram terrorists were alleged to have attacked a convoy carrying UN humanitarian workers in Borno State.
The rise in ambush of UN workers have sort of created a palpable air of unease between the Nigerian military and the UN in recent times.

Speaking on the Borno State ambush, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon, deplored the deadly ambush on a convoy carrying humanitarian food supplies for conflict-affected persons on December 16.

Kallon expressed great concern over the limitations that attacks of this nature may have on the delivery of life-saving supplies to people in need in North-east Nigeria.

According to him, the by a non-state armed group took place on the road between Dikwa and Gamboru in Borno State, and resulted in the reported loss of at least four civilian lives as well as the destruction of basic aid items initially destined to alleviate the suffering of thousands of women, children and men.

“Violence against convoys carrying humanitarian aid is unacceptable and can result in concerning limitations in our ability to provide life-saving relief to those who need it the most.

“We must ensure the safety of aid workers and aid convoys across the North-east of Nigeria, so people in need of assistance can access it in a timely manner and in sufficient quantity. Many lives are at risk,” Kallon added.
He stated that the United Nations and its partners operate in the north-east of Nigeria in order to provide life-saving assistance to 6.9 million people affected by the brutal conflict. Humanitarian operations are carried out following the four basic humanitarian principles of operational independence, humanity, impartiality and neutrality and should be respected as such.

“Since January 2017, despite major challenges, humanitarian operations in north-east Nigeria have managed to assist over 5 million conflict-affected people in the states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, including three million with food security interventions, 936,000 with nutritional support, five million with health care assistance, and over 1.3 million with safe drinking water,” he observed.

But the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col Onyema Nwachukwu of the Theatre Command, Operation Lafiya Dole explained that “contrary to the information currently making the rounds in a section of the media that four United Nations staff had been killed and four trucks conveying food for internally displaced persons were carted away, the Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole wishes to state that the report grossly misrepresents the true situation of the incident as none of the casualties in the encounter has been identified as a staff of the UN.
“In setting the record straight, it is necessary to state here that a patrol escorting a convoy of civilian vehicles to Logomani encountered an ambush staged by elements of Boko Haram insurgents at Maula village along Dikwa-Ngala trans sahara highway which resulted in a firefight between troops and the insurgents.

“The troops however fought through the ambush, overpowered the insurgents and killed six of them. The troops also captured 3 AK 47 rifles, 3 locally fabricated fire arms, 4 magazines and a belt of 7.62 mm ammunition.
“Sadly four persons died in the encounter. Although none of the persons killed in the ambush has so far been identified as a staff of the UN, this Headquarters considers the lives of all citizens and indeed all humans sacrosanct, which must be protected by troops even at a supreme price.
“The situation has been brought under control and and further exploitation of the general area is currently being carried out by Mobile strike Team of Operation Lafiya Dole,” Nwachukwu stated.

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