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Zabarmari massacre: UN humanitarian coordinator visits families of victims, says many still missing

The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Edward Kallon, has paid a condolence visit and met families of farmers killed by Boko Haram in Zabarmari, Borno State.

This is contained in a statement by the global body on Wednesday.

Mr Kallon said “It is with great sadness, but also indignation, that I met the families of the victims of Saturday’s violent attack and their communities to extend my most sincere condolences, on behalf of the United Nations and humanitarian partners, and to commiserate with them on these atrocious circumstances.

“Farmers and villagers I have met have retold accounts of unspeakable cruelty. Innocent civilians – men and women – were ruthlessly killed. Details on losses are still coming in and the search for missing people is still ongoing. More bodies are being recovered.

“Farmers have also reported some of the missing women may have been abducted. I call for these innocent women and girls to be immediately released and for their safe return to their communities.

“With more slain civilians recovered almost every day since the attack, it is clear that this was an act of sheer inhumanity and abject cruelty. The perpetrators of this heinous and senseless act should be brought to justice.”

The UN chief said he met Borno State Governor Prof Babagana Umara Zulum as well as their Excellencies the Governors of Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba states and the Deputy Governor of Yobe State.

“We all agree that stabilizing and developing the north-east is not only important for the people living in these states but also crucial for the whole country and key to the sub-region.

“Farmers and families I met yesterday (Tuesday) in Zabarmari are in shock. Idris Ahmad, one of the farmers I spoke with, told me his pain and grief, the trauma farmers are going through as their sons, brothers, cousins were killed in atrocious conditions and many had their throat slit by assailants armed with machetes.

“They now fear for their life and that of their children. They have not yet gone back to harvest the farms. They have no other resources and dread that everything they worked for is now lost.

“I reiterate our commitment to do our utmost to support the people of Borno State and particularly the most vulnerable, many of whom live in such remote areas and are taking inconsiderable risks every day to be able to have some food on their plate.

“If provided with the necessary resources and access, we are committed to do more to provide urgent assistance to those most in need in the north-east,” Mr Kallon said.

He added that the actions to be taken go beyond a security response. “Nigeria is not the only country at grip with violent non-state armed groups in the Sahel. As we are seeing across the sub-region, a security response alone will not be enough to bring peace and security in a state like Borno, which has been facing over a decade of violence.”

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