Rann: Another step backward
By: A.A. Suleiman
The terror attack at Rann which claimed the lives of Humanitarian aid workers, security personals, innocent civilians IDPs and also the abduction of people in the local area left so much questions in the minds of an average Nigerians with regards to the technical defeat of the Boko Haram insurgents.
Rann, a town situated in the Kala-Balge local Government area of Borno state with an averagely estimated distance of about 200km from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. The IDP camp have been estimated to be sheltering about 60,000 (Sixty thousand) IDPs who are direly in need of humanitarian aids. Prior to the Boko Haram insurgency, Rann and Kala-Balge people have suffered from the lack of social services (Water, Health care, schools, transportation etc), people from the areas are leaving in an abject poverty, and have often complained on the lack of the presence of both the state and the federal government.
It would be recalled in January 2016, Nigerian Air force fighter jet mistakenly bombarded the same IDP camp that is in close proximity with the Cameroonian boarder claiming the lives of about 5 Humanitarian aid workers and hundreds of IDPs. Humanitarian activities were partially suspended, but was later called back. The call back was likely to have been initiated by the visit of a powerful Federal Government delegation to the Humanitarian Coordinator, the delegation comprises; the Chief of Staff to the President, Ministers, Presidential aides and all the Military Service Chiefs who stormed into the city of Maiduguri to sympathize with the Humanitarian community and as well express their regrets over the mistakenly lunched attack and further expressed the reassurances and commitments of the federal government in biffing up security in around area and beyond.
In a statement issued by the Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon, condemned the Rann incidence stating that; "aid worker put their lives on the line every single day to provide emergency assistance to vulnerable children, women and men, our deepest condolence goes to families of the victims and our brave colleagues, we call on the authorities to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice and account".
Similarly, other sources have reported that the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Gueterres also issued a statement directing the partial suspension and the withdrawal of all humitarian activities in Rann. But however, If this statement is confirmed to be true, then this may put the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency into jeopardy.
On the other hand, the Borno State Government have vowed to shut down camps and relocate all IDPs to their original destinations in May this year, but with the current state of affairs, it may be difficult for the State government to proceed with this plan as it may subject the lives of innocent citizens into more danger, but rather they may likely be compelled to open more camps.
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| Remains of the deceased Humaniterian arriving Maiduguri |
The terror attack at Rann which claimed the lives of Humanitarian aid workers, security personals, innocent civilians IDPs and also the abduction of people in the local area left so much questions in the minds of an average Nigerians with regards to the technical defeat of the Boko Haram insurgents.
Rann, a town situated in the Kala-Balge local Government area of Borno state with an averagely estimated distance of about 200km from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State. The IDP camp have been estimated to be sheltering about 60,000 (Sixty thousand) IDPs who are direly in need of humanitarian aids. Prior to the Boko Haram insurgency, Rann and Kala-Balge people have suffered from the lack of social services (Water, Health care, schools, transportation etc), people from the areas are leaving in an abject poverty, and have often complained on the lack of the presence of both the state and the federal government.
It would be recalled in January 2016, Nigerian Air force fighter jet mistakenly bombarded the same IDP camp that is in close proximity with the Cameroonian boarder claiming the lives of about 5 Humanitarian aid workers and hundreds of IDPs. Humanitarian activities were partially suspended, but was later called back. The call back was likely to have been initiated by the visit of a powerful Federal Government delegation to the Humanitarian Coordinator, the delegation comprises; the Chief of Staff to the President, Ministers, Presidential aides and all the Military Service Chiefs who stormed into the city of Maiduguri to sympathize with the Humanitarian community and as well express their regrets over the mistakenly lunched attack and further expressed the reassurances and commitments of the federal government in biffing up security in around area and beyond.
In a statement issued by the Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon, condemned the Rann incidence stating that; "aid worker put their lives on the line every single day to provide emergency assistance to vulnerable children, women and men, our deepest condolence goes to families of the victims and our brave colleagues, we call on the authorities to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice and account".
Similarly, other sources have reported that the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Gueterres also issued a statement directing the partial suspension and the withdrawal of all humitarian activities in Rann. But however, If this statement is confirmed to be true, then this may put the fight against the Boko Haram insurgency into jeopardy.
On the other hand, the Borno State Government have vowed to shut down camps and relocate all IDPs to their original destinations in May this year, but with the current state of affairs, it may be difficult for the State government to proceed with this plan as it may subject the lives of innocent citizens into more danger, but rather they may likely be compelled to open more camps.
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