STATEMENT: Lieutenant General T.Y. Buratai did not accuse Humanitarian Agencies of Waste and Infighting – Nigerian Army

The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to an online publication of The Nation Newspaper a few days ago,entitled "N ’East: Buratai accuses humanitarian agencies of waste, infighting" which was attributed to the Chief of Army Staff. In it, it was alleged that he leveled allegations against the United Nations (UN) humanitarian agencies […]

The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to an online publication of The Nation Newspaper a few days ago,entitled "N ’East: Buratai accuses humanitarian agencies of waste, infighting" which was attributed to the Chief of Army Staff. In it, it was alleged that he leveled allegations against the United Nations (UN) humanitarian agencies and some Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) operating in the North East of sabotaging the fight against terrorism and insurgency. This is incorrect and a misrepresentation of the facts and does not reflect the position of the Chief of Army Staff and indeed the Nigerian Army. As a matter of fact, the Nigerian Army has a good working and cordial relationship with all the UN agencies and the NGOs in our country. The reported allegation was a result of research and quotations from the news report of a Nigerian news medium that the presenter quoted but reported out of context and without proper attribution to the original source. We wish to state unequivocally that we appreciate the role of the UN, its agencies, and all the NGOs operating in the North East as they contribute immeasurably in alleviating the plight of Internally Displaced Persons. We will therefore continue to support and assist them in any way possible in the discharge of their legitimate humanitarian duties.