The United Nations-Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) has condemned the killing of its employees and others at a military base in Damboa, Borno state.
This was stated in a statement signed on Friday in Maiduguri by the Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Matthias Schmale.
Recall that the Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai, North East, Major General Christopher Musa on Thursday night disclosed that a soldier ran berserk in a military base, opened fire and killed a humanitarian staff of an Non- Governmental Organisations, NGO and also killed another soldier in the same base.
Not satisfied, the soldier also opened fire on the co-pilot of one of the UN helicopters to the theater before troops of Hadin Kai neutralized him.
According to General Musa, “yesterday’s killing of a staff member of the humanitarian non-governmental organization Meedecins du Monde in Damboa, Borno State is deeply disturbing and sad.
“On behalf of the United Nations, I convey my heartfelt condolences to the aid worker’s family and to her colleagues. I also wish a speedy recovery to a pilot working with the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) who was injured in the deplorable attack by an apparently rogue soldier.
“All humanitarian staff working in north-east Nigeria deserve our fullest respect for their courage and commitment to stay and deliver life-saving assistance to people in need in often difficult and dangerous circumstances. Humanitarian workers must be protected.
“I laud the Government and the military’s efforts to speedily investigate yesterday’s incident and urge them to strengthen remedial measures to prevent similar incidents in the future”. Said Schmale.
In a related development, the District Head of Damboa Local Government Area, Zanna Lawan Maina expressed shock over the incident.
“I am right now in Abuja when I received a distress call from some of my subjects that there was a multiple gunshots at Military Base. The Theatre Commander, Major General Christopher Musa also called me on the same incidence.
“It is very unfortunate, but right now the situation is under control “, the traditional ruler stated.