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Timothy Olanrewaju Maiduguri
United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria Mr Edward Kallon has condemned an attack on civilians and aid helicopter in a Borno town by Boko Haram terrorists.
Kallon said in a statement that he was gravely concerned about the attack in Damasak, a volatile community around the Nigeria border with Niger, where Boko Haram insurgents shot at a humanitarian helicopter facilitating aids to vulnerable and hard-to-reach civilians trapped by over a decade insurgency,
‘I am gravely concerned by reports of another violent attack by non-state armed groups (Boko Haram) in Damasak, Borno State, on 2 July, in which at least two innocent civilians lost their lives, including a five years old child,’ the humanitarian envoy said.
He disclosed that ‘several others’ were also injured while a humanitarian helicopter was hit by Boko Haram bullet s, causing some damage.
The helicopter was about to land at Damasak when the incident occurred but turned back to Maiduguri, about 190 kilometres away to land, he said.
Crew in the helicopter and aid workers landed safely and were unhurt, Kallon revealed.
The Damasak attack by Boko Haram is the second in nearly month coming after a similar incident at Monguno, in the same northern part of Borno mid-June.
Boko Haram has carried out a series of terror attacks in the northeast states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe since 2009, leading to the death of over 30,000 people and about three million displaced according to a 2018 report by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
