An operational soldier went wild and killed a fellow soldier and a UN humanitarian worker. He also injured a pilot and other UN staff members in the Damboa local government area of the state.
The United Nations has condemned the killing of its humanitarian worker at a military base in Borno State, northeastern Nigeria.
An operational soldier went wild and killed a fellow soldier and a UN humanitarian worker. He also injured a pilot and other UN staff members in the Damboa local government area of the state.
The soldier was said to have walked off his base at about 3 pm on Thursday and went on a shooting rampage using an AK-47 rifle.
The Theatre Command, Operation Hadin Kai, through Samson Nantip Zhakom, Major Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, had confirmed the incident, saying, “The Theatre Command Operation HADIN KAI regrets to inform the general public of a sad occurrence at one of our military bases today. A soldier shot and killed a staff of one of the NGOs providing humanitarian support in the North East.
“Same soldier also killed another soldier and injured the co-pilot of one of the UN helicopters. Own troops on ground immediately neutralised the errant personnel. The injured co-pilot has been stabilised while the corpses of the deceased have been moved to the 7 Division Hospital.
"Detailed investigation into the incident and subsequent remedial actions have commenced into the highly regrettable incident. Further details will be provided later,” said Samson Nantip Zhakom, Major Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, from the Theatre Command, Operation HADIN KAI.”
It was gathered that after the soldier exhausted his bullets, he brought out a jack knife and stabbed the humanitarian worker who was a female staff member of Medecins du Monde (France) on Nigeria Mission, four times. He killed her before injuring the helicopter pilot.
Reacting to the killing and injuring of the humanitarian worker, the UN Coordinator for Nigeria, Matthias Schmale, in a statement on Friday described the incident as “Disturbing and sad.”
The UN Coordinator said, “Yesterday’s killing of a staff member of the humanitarian non-governmental organization Médecins 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.”