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The Nigerian Army has restated its commitment to collaborate with
United Nations agencies and other organisations to address humanitarian
crisis caused by Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast.

Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Tukur Buratai

Lt.- Gen. Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), gave the
commitment at a dinner and media interactive session organised for
editors and defence correspondents in Maiduguri.

Buratai, who was reacting to recent misunderstanding between the
military and the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund
(UNICEF), said the issues had been resolved amicably.

He declared that: “I assure you that no love is lost between the
UNICEF, the Nigerian Military and in particular the Nigerian Army.

“Indeed, in this operation we will continue to cooperate with them to
ensure that we carry out the necessary humanitarian aid and support for
the agencies to carry out their responsibilities.

“What transpired is something that could not have happened but at
times you have to take necessary steps knowing that the right result
would be achieved.

“These are times not within the normal situations, these are times where some lives were lost.

This is a time when so many trying activities are taking place, and
such times have led to frustration of our efforts in various operations
in the northeast.

“It is important to note that whatever we are doing, we are conscious
of our international obligations as well as the need to safeguard
national security.

“I am sure that the international organisations will not subscribe or
allow any actions or inaction’s of certain individuals or groups to
jeopardise the national security of the country they operate and this is
quite fundamental.

“We understand the challenges and I am happy that the issue has been
resolved, the UNICEF and other organisations were not prevented from
carrying out their legitimate duties”.

Buratai expressed the hope that the incident would not repeat itself,
adding that Nigerian Army had been participating in immunisation and
other humanitarian activities in the northeast.

According to him, the army is working in collaboration with the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation; National Primary Healthcare Development
Agency (NPHCDA) and other organisations on routine immunisation in the
northeast.

The army chief noted that the troops had been at the vanguard of
providing support to the organisations in hard-to-reach areas, to enable
them to conduct their services.

“The Nigerian Army has been at the fore front where the humanitarian organisations could not reach.

“Our troops, apart from fighting the Boko Haram terrorists, are also
carrying out immunisation of children in the northeast, ” he added.