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No civilians were killed in the ambush- Nigeria Army, in contrast to WFP claims

The Nigerian Army has denied that civilians were killed in an attack coordinated by the Boko Haram insurgents against the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP’s) trucks on Saturday.

Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, made this clarification via a Short Service Message (SMS) to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri.

Nicholas said, contrary to reports credited to WFP, the troops escorting the trucks killed six insurgents and recovered weapons.

He also explained that there were no civilian casualties in the attack, stating that he was at Dikwa when the incident occurred.

“There was an ambush but the soldiers killed six Boko Haram insurgents and recovered weapons, no civilian was killed.

“I was in Dikwa that Saturday and this happened while I was within,” Nicholas said.

In contrast, the World Food Programme (WFP) said a driver of its hired truck and three other persons were killed in an attack at Ngala, in Gamboru-Ngala Local Government Area of Borno.

According to the Communication Associate of the WFP, Adedeji Ademigbuji, in a statement issued in Maiduguri, a convoy of the WFP’s hired trucks conveying food items for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) weas attacked by gunmen 35 kilometres South-West of Ngala on Saturday.

He disclosed that the convoy, escorted by the military, was conveying foodstuff for distribution to the vulnerable Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the area.

Last year, the United Nations suspended aid deliveries in Nigeria’s North-eastern state of Borno, the epicentre of the conflict, after a humanitarian convoy was attacked, leaving two aid workers injured.

However, reports on attacks on aid workers are relatively rare in the conflict with the insurgents, compared to assaults on the Military and civilians in Nigeria’s North East.

Last week, the Nigerian government approved the release of $1 billion from the country’s excess oil account to help fight the Boko Haram insurgence and make other security expenses, despite a two-year narrative that Boko Haram has been defeated.

Nigeria appears to abduct the plan to corral civilians inside fortified garrison towns – effectively ceding the countryside to Boko Haram.

Earlier this month, Nigeria replaced the military commander of the campaign against Boko Haram after half a year in the post, owing to what it described as “embarrassing” attacks from the insurgents.

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