THISDAY

Boko Haram Attacks Humanitari­an Hub in Borno

- Michael Olugbode

The humanitari­an hub in Ngala, a border town with Cameroon in Borno State, was last Saturday attacked by Boko Haram sect.

A worker with one of the United Nations agencies in Maiduguri said the hub was attacked at about 6:30p.m., adding that no casualty was recorded in the attack.

Meanwhile, most parts of Maiduguri have been declared high risk areas by UN agencies working in the North-east region.

A source said most of the agencies have recalled their staff members from towns in the troubled state outside the state capital, Maiduguri, saying humanitari­an activities have not been canceled though in the towns.

He said: “Even in places where staff members are withdrawn, they (UN agencies) are providing assistance through third party and communityb­ased agencies.

The UN Humanitari­an Coordinato­r to Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon, had last Thursday complained that the security situations in Borno and Yobe State have degenerate­d and had become worrisome to the UN agencies and other actors in humanitari­an activities in North-east region.

According to Kallon, “I am deeply relieved that some civilians, including three aid workers who were abducted by non-state armed groups on the Monguno-Maiduguri road on December 22, 2019, had been released on Wednesday and are now safe.

“The entire humanitari­an community in Nigeria shares the joy of the families, friends and colleagues of these aid workers, who can now put to rest the unimaginab­le anxiety of missing their loved ones.”

“These dedicated humanitari­ans were working to provide life-saving support to millions of Nigeria’s most vulnerable in Borno State. They should never have been a target or have to endure the trauma of being held captive.”

He added that: “Despite this encouragin­g news, I am concerned about the fate of the other civilians abducted in this incident. I also remain gravely concerned for the lives of our ACF colleague, Grace Taku, who was abducted near Damasak in July 2019, and Alice Loksha, a nurse and a mother, abducted in an attack in Rann in March 2018. Both are still held captive by non-state armed groups. The UN and its humanitari­an partners therefore call for their

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