Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has denounced recent atrocities in Zamfara State that have taken the lives of dozens of people.
In a statement released on Monday, his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, expressed his condolences to the families of those who died in the assaults.
He also demanded that the attackers be apprehended and prosecuted, as well as reassuring the Nigerian government of the UN’s cooperation in the fight against terrorists and other criminals.
“The Secretary-General strongly condemns the heinous atrocities carried out over the weekend in Nigeria’s Zamfara State, which resulted in the deaths of scores of civilians,” the statement read. He expresses his deepest sympathies to the deceased families.
The Secretary-General calls on Nigerian authorities to make every effort to apprehend those responsible for these atrocious killings.
The Secretary-General underlines the United Nations’ solidarity and support for Nigeria’s government and people in their battle against terrorism, violent extremism, and organized crime.”
No fewer than four villages were razed in the attacks that lasted about 48 hours in Anka and Bukkuyum LGAs in Zamfara.
The incidents attracted condemnation from various individuals and groups within Nigeria, and from the international community.
President Muhammadu Buhari had also condemned the attacks in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.
“The latest attacks on innocent people by the bandits is an act of desperation by mass murderers, now under relentless pressure from our military forces who are well equipped to effectively confront these enemies of humanity,” he had said.
“In keeping with my commitment to tackling the monster of terrorism head-on, let me reassure these besieged communities and other Nigerians that this government will not abandon them to their fate because we are more than ever determined to get rid of these outlaws.
“These criminals will be history because we are not going to relent in our current military operations to get rid of these thugs who have been terrorising innocent people.”
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
