UN condemns attacks in Borno

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) has condemned the attacks on Maiduguri by suspected female suicide bombers on Thursday night and Friday in which at least eight persons reportedly lost their lives.

The Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Mr Farhan Haq, said the UN OCHA “is alarmed by the reported terrorist attacks on vulnerable displaced people in two locations in Maiduguri in north-eastern Nigeria that took place on Thursday.

“While the number of dead and injured among civilians is not yet clear, Boko Haram reportedly launched a major attack using guns and explosives targeting the Custom House site that hosts more than 9,000 internally displaced people and the Muna Garage Park area where displaced people have gathered to return to their homes.

“These are not the first attacks affecting the most vulnerable people in the area.

“The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reminds all parties to the conflict in Nigeria to ensure the safety and security of all civilian populations as required under international humanitarian law and international human rights law”.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said eight suspected female suicide bombers were involved in the attack on Maiduguri-Gamboru road, according to NEMA spokesman Sani Datti.

Datti said that the suspected Boko Haram members, who came through Mafa- Dikwa road along Muna community on Thursday at around 11.00 p.m, attempted to attack Maiduguri.

He said the suicide bombers came in a Volkswagen Golf car, carrying eight suicide bombers most of whom were female teenagers.

According to him, a few bombers detonated their explosives around Muna Dalti community, injuring seven local vigilantes, known as ‘Civilian Joint Task Force’.

Datti further said that some of the suicide bombers found their way to a place where people gathered with their trucks loaded with goods for onward movement to Mafa, Dikwa and Ngala local government areas of the state.

He said that no fewer than 14 trucks were burnt by the bombers, adding that the injured had been taken to University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital for treatment.

He said that only the suicide bombers were killed in the attacks.