UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has called for those responsible for Sunday’s killings in Malari village, Borno, to be brought to “swift justice”.
Guterres, in a statement by his spokesman, Mr Stephane Dujarric, condemned the killing of dozens of people in violence in Borno by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.
The Secretary-General said he remained “deeply concerned about the persisting violence in the Lake Chad Basin region”.
The UN chief “expresses his deepest condolences to the bereaved families and to the Government and people of Nigeria and wishes a speedy recovery to the injured”.
He commended national and regional initiatives to bring peace and stability to the area and to address the root causes of the conflict.
Guterres also reiterated his calls on the international community to increase support to regional efforts in the fight against Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin.
Suspected Boko Haram insurgents had at the weekend, invaded Mailari village, Guzamala local government area of Borno State, leaving scores killed and hundreds displaced.
Mailari, located along Maiduguri -Monguno – Kukawa Road north and about 80 kilometres drive from Maiduguri the state capital, has witnessed series of deadly attacks in recent times/Although, there were conflicting reports on the number of casualties, sources said no fewer than 50 persons, mostly women and children, were killed in the latest attack.
Another source said 25 people were killed in the attacks by the insurgents who also looted food stuff and livestock.
According to a fleeing resident of Mailari who gave his name as Habib Modu, the invaders raided the community which people recently returned from IDP camps.
“The incident occurred in Mailari village at about 2:15p.m. on Saturday killing more dozens of villagers and the whole community was burnt down.
“The insurgents stormed the village in utility vehicles and opened fire sporadically on civilians.
Many of us fled to Monguno town for safe but the deadly group looted food stuff before setting the community ablaze,” Modu stated.
