SAN FRANCISCO, December 18, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Army, on Monday, denied the killings of civilians in an attack coordinated by the Boko Haram insurgents against the United Nations’ World Food Programme (WFP’s) trucks on Saturday.
The Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, gave the clarification in a Short Service Message to newsmen in Maiduguri.
Nicholas said contrary to reports credited to WFP, the troops escorting the trucks killed six insurgents and recovered weapons explaining that there were no civilian casualties in the attack.
WFP had stated on Sunday that a driver of its hired truck and three other persons were killed in the attack at Ngala in Gamboru-Ngala Local Government Area of Borno.
Adedeji Ademigbuji, the Communication Associate of the WFP, in a statement issued in Maiduguri, stated that a convoy of the WFP’s hired trucks, conveying food items, was 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.
“There was an ambush but the soldiers killed six Boko Haram insurgents and recovered weapons. No civilian was killed,” the message read.
“I was in Dikwa that Saturday and this happened while I was within.”
