UN pulls out humanitarian workers after Rann attack, says 8 Nigerian soldiers died

On Thursday, March 1, 2018, the terrorists attacked the village leaving security and aid workers dead and others injured.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Activities (UN-OCHA) had earlier disclosed that four of its personnel were killed while a female nurse still working with ICRC was abducted by the sect.

The Nigerian government has, however, been silent about details of the attack and the casualty situation - even though President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the incident in a statement issued on Friday, March 2.

A statement released by the UN, also on Friday, quoted Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for Secretary-General António Guterres, as confirming the withdrawal of aid workers from the community.

She said, "The Secretary-General condemns the killing of three aid workers last night in Rann town in Borno state, Nigeria, following an attack by suspected Boko Haram insurgents. At least one other aid worker remains critically injured and another three are still missing. Eight members of the Nigerian national security forces were also killed.

"At the time of the attack, over 40 humanitarian workers were in Rann. All humanitarian personnel have been evacuated from Rann, and all humanitarian deliveries in the area have been temporarily suspended.

"The Secretary-General expresses his deepest condolences to the affected aid workers, their families and to the Government and people of Nigeria. He wishes those injured a swift recovery. "The Secretary-General recalls that attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law. Those responsible for these and other atrocities in Nigeria must be apprehended and prosecuted.

"The Secretary-General calls on all the parties to ensure at all times the protection of all civilians in Nigeria."

Suspension of humanitarian activities

In the same vein, the Doctors Without Borders, otherwise known as Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF) also announced on Friday that it has officially suspended humanitarian activities in the Borno community.

According to the MSF's Field Communication officer in Abuja, Maro Verli, the humanitarian organisation had to suspend all operations in the Borno village.

"Following the violent attack in Rann, Borno state, on Thursday 1 March, Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF) decided to suspend its medical activities in the town.

"MSF team has been providing medical care to the 40,000 people in Rann, since January 2017. Mobile teams delivered assistance on a regular basis, and a permanent medical team has been based in Rann since September 2017," Verli said.

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As at Saturday, March 3, the Nigerian military and the police have not issued any statement regarding the attack, as sources said many soldiers lost their lives in the attack.

This is not the first time Rann would record heavy casualties as a result of Boko Haram activities.

In January 2017, 200 persons were killed in Rann when a Nigerian military plane mistakenly dropped bombs on the IDP camp in the community.

The military jet was aiming at the terrorists in the area but hit civilians instead.

It also took the military days to confirm the casualty figure in that incident.