Wednesday, January 2, 2013

NEMA denies killing of 15 church worshippers in Chibok

THE National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has denied a report claiming that 15 worshippers were killed at the outskirt of Chibok Local Government Council of Borno State on Sunday.

Though some of the reports claimed a source from NEMA provided the information, the agency not only contacted the same officer who denied it in its entirety, it also assigned a special team to investigate and verify the allegation which was later found to be unsubstantiated and untrue.

Meanwhile, the team also discovered that two people were killed by unidentified gunmen around the area on Sunday and whose bodies had been deposited in a hospital. The victims were a security man and a bystander.

Like other similar attacks, the agency could not classify the victims as Muslims or Christians because most of the attacks in the North-East axis are nondiscriminatory.

This could be deduced from the calibre of personalities including retired military generals, traditional rulers, politicians, public officers, businesspeople, security personnel,  traders, students  among others that were victims of such attacks.

It is necessary to point out that NEMA would never release figures of casualty in whatever form without concrete evidence and certification from relevant authorities including the medical personnel and security agencies.

The tradition of collaboration with stakeholders in information management during outbreaks of disaster in any part of the country is to eradicate erroneous impressions and misinformation as well as guard against unnecessary reprisal attacks from such speculations.

In another development, NEMA has provided relief materials to the victims of recent communal clash between the Fulani and the Gwari in Gwagwalada area of Abuja over encroachment on farmlands.

Two truckloads of relief materials that include beddings, food items, toiletries, medicaments and tents have been distributed to the victims, who are currently squatting in a temporary camp at the permanent campus of the University of Abuja.

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