The headquarters, Theatre Command, Operation Lafiya Dole on Monday declared that no UN staff was killed at the weekend as a result of Boko Haram ambush attack on a food convoy carrying food to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the North East.
Rather, it stated that 6 of the terrorists were killed while four (4) others whose identities were not given lost their lives in the gunfight that followed.
The Army clarified that the 4 persons who died were not United Nations officials.
A statement titled ‘No UN Staff Killed in Maula
Encounter with Insurgents’, Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Onyeama Nwachukwu dismissed as “ Contrary, information currently making the rounds in a section of the media that four United Nations staff had been killed and four trucks conveying food for internally displaced persons were carted away.
He said, “The Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole wishes to state that the report grossly misrepresents the true situation of the incident as none of the casualties in the encounter has been identified as a staff of the UN.
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“In setting the record straight, it is necessary to state here that a patrol escorting a convoy of civilian vehicles to Logomani encountered an ambush staged by elements of Boko Haram insurgents at Maula village along Dikwa-Ngala trans-Sahara highway which resulted in a fire-fight between troops and the insurgents.
“The troops however fought through the ambush, overpowered the insurgents and killed six of them.
“The troops also captured 3 AK 47 rifles, 3 locally fabricated fire arms, 4 magazines and a belt of 7.62 mm ammunition.
“Sadly four persons died in the encounter.
“Although none of the persons killed in the ambush has so far been identified as a staff of the UN.”
“This Headquarters considers the lives of all citizens and indeed all humans sacrosanct, which must be protected by troops even at a supreme price.
“The situation has been brought under control and further exploitation of the general area is currently being carried out by Mobile strike Team of Operation Lafiya Dole.”
Col O Nwachukwu
Deputy Director Public Relations
Theatre Command, Operation Lafiya Dole
