Borno State Commissioner of Police, Damian Chukwu, confirmed yesterday that six soldiers and four policemen were killed in Rann, when Boko Haram attacked last week.
It was the first official disclosure of casualties the security forces suffered in the attack that killed three aid workers. The three victims worked for the United Nations at Rann’s displaced persons camp.
Two other female workers are believed to have been abducted by the terror group.
While giving details of its losses, the UN also said eight members of the Nigerian security forces were killed.
But the CP Chukwu said the toll was higher.
“During the attack on Rann, six soldiers died and we lost four policemen,” he told journalists at a press conference, but declined to give further details.
Meanwhile, the police in Borno have issued a 21-day for residents with illegal arms to surrender them or risk arrest and prosecution.
Mr. Chukwu who gave the directive while addressing senior police officers said it was the direct order of the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, in view of the escalation of armed communal conflict across the country.
He said any person found with such arms would be dealt with in with laws of the land.
“We must brace up to our responsibilities, so that it does happen again. That was how 276 Chibok schoolgirls were abducted by in April 14, 2014.
“The members of the public are to cooperate with police ensure that the directive of IG is complied with without rancour,” he said.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has urged the Federal Government to appeal to the UN and Doctors Without Borders, also known as Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF) to return to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Rann, and other parts of Bama, Ngala, Kala-Balge Federal Constituency of Borno State.
The House also urged the government to provide adequate security for the United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF), MSF and other local and international organisations involved in the provision of humanitarian services in the area.
This followed the adoption of a motion by Mohammed Nur Sheriff on the need to provide adequate security for aid workers and IDPs in Bama, Ngala, Kala-Balge Federal Constituency.
Sheriff, in his lead debate, informed the House that on March 1, Boko Haram insurgents attacked an IDP camp in Rann, which is the headquarter of Kala-Balge Local Government Area.
Sheriff explained that in the aftermath of the attack, the UN and MSF, which had worked in the area since 2007 pulled their aid workers from Rann and suspended their operations.
He appealed to the House to intervene so that the aid workers could resume their operations in Rann.
Contributing to the motion, the Deputy Speaker, Yussuff Lasun blamed the structure of the country for the present security challenges.
He stated that the solution laid in the restructuring of the country so that state governors could be responsible for the security of lives and property within their states.
Lasun expressed regret that that the House rejected the devolution of power bill in the ongoing review of the 1999 constitution.
On his part, the Minority Whip, Yakubu Barde said the insecurity in the country is as a result of the failure of governance.
Also, Emir of Kaiama, Muazu Omar appealed to members of the House of Representatives Committee on National Security and Intelligence to take urgent steps to step up security in the Kaiama emirate in Kwara State before it becomes another Sambisa.
-Sun