The United Nations Resident Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Edward Kallon, has condemned the killing of 43 Farmers in Borno State, the North-eastern part of Nigeria while noting that the death toll may be higher.
REPORT AFRIQUE in a report had narrated the gruesome murder of the farmers by the notorious islamist terror group, Boko Haram.
The UNHCR Cordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon, said in a statement that at least a 100 civilians were ruthlessly killed while many others were wounded in the attack.
Kallon in the same statement went further to urge government authorities to bring the perpetrators of the heinous crime to justice while describing the attack, with condemnation, as the most violent direct attack against innocent civilians this year.
The statement reads in part “The entire UN System and the humanitarian community working to provide life-saving and development assistance to the most vulnerable in Borno state is outraged by the incident”.
“Such direct attacks against innocent civilians jeopardise the ability for the most vulnerable people to survive the adversity they are facing, and which we are striving to alleviate” the statement said.
The statement also adds that the UN Refuge Agency also received reports that several women may have been kidnapped shortly after the gruesome killings.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has been acting as the face of curbing displacement in the insurgency-plagued Borno state.
Northern governors forum pledge support
In the meantime, the Northern governors forum says it will not relent in its support to enable security agencies deal decisively with terrorists and other criminal groups.
The chairman of the forum and executive governor of Plateau state, Simon Lalong, made the comments while reacting to the murder of 43 rice farmers in Borno state.
He described the incident as tragic and a great setback to the country’s effort to attain domestic sufficiency in rice production as well as food security.
The governor said the forum had consistently worked with the Federal Government, security agencies and local support groups to ensure the protection of farmers in order to enable them carry out their farming activities.
