Olaleye Aluko, Abuja
The International Committee of the Red Cross, the agency that received the three freed University of Maiduguri lecturers and the 10 women from the Boko Haram terrorists, says there are “many people being held against their will.”
The ICRC stated this in a release by its Communications Coordinator, Aleksandra Matijevic, obtained by our correspondent on Sunday.
The agency also said it did not interfere in the negotiations between Boko Haram and the Federal Government for the release of the 13 persons.
The ICRC said its only role was to receive the victims from the “armed group.”
The ICRC Africa Region, Deputy Director, Patrick Youssef, said the agency hoped that more people would be released.
Youssef said, “We are pleased that these 13 people are free and will be able to see their families again. There are many people missing or being held against their will due to the conflict. This creates untold trauma and suffering, including for families across the Lake Chad region which must live with the daily uncertainty and anguish of not knowing the fate or whereabouts of their loved ones. We hope that these people too will get to return to their families soon.”
The statement noted that the rescue operation was like the release of some Chibok girls in October 2016 and May 2017.
The ICRC said, “We have facilitated the handover – from the armed opposition to the Nigerian military – of 10 women police officers and three university professors. This operation in the North-East Nigeria, with the ICRC acting as a neutral intermediary, was carried out at the request of the parties to the ongoing armed conflict.
“The ICRC was not involved in any negotiations that led to the handover of the 13 people. The armed opposition handed the 13 people over to ICRC representatives who transported them to Nigerian authorities. This action was similar to what the ICRC did in October 2016 and May 2017, when we transported the released Chibok girls to Nigerian officials.
“The ICRC remains ready to provide similar humanitarian services in the future when asked by relevant parties to the conflict. The ICRC will not be able to connect journalists with the released persons or their families, and we ask for respect for their privacy during this time. Similarly, we will not be able to provide any additional details on the handover operation.”
Meanwhile, troops of the Nigerian Army have killed scores of Boko Haram terrorists in Goniri community in the Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State.
Our correspondent learnt that the terrorists had attempted to infiltrate the military’s camp and had opened fire, but the troops responded, leading to the killings.
Two soldiers were reportedly injured during the encounter around 6.20pm on Friday.
It was gathered that the troops destroyed Boko Haram’s vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices, recovered an anti-aircraft gun, an AK-47 rifle and other items.
The army said its preliminary investigation showed that some informants had alerted the insurgents to the troops’ location.
The Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 27 Task Force Brigade, Maj. Nureni Alimi, who confirmed the incident, said the injured soldiers were in a military medical facility.
He said, “As a result of the ongoing clearance operations through Operation Deep Punch, some desperate Boko Haram terrorists attempted to escape through one of the blocking positions in Goniri, Yobe.
“They encountered the troops and adopted rapid firing, while the troops responded with maximum volume of fire. Preliminary investigation reveals that some unscrupulous Boko Haram informants might have hinted the terrorist group that the troops had moved out of the position. But we met them with maximum force.”
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