The Nigeria Red Cross Society on Tuesday expressed its frustration at the limitations to its rescue efforts in Baga, saying the Military has been restricting access to the site and has failed to assure workers of their safety.
At least 187 people were reported to have been killed at the weekend in Baga, Borno State, during a clash between members of the Boko Haram islamist sect and men of the Joint Military Task Force (JTF). In addition, 77 people were injured while the homes of more than 300 others were destroyed.
According to Disaster Management Coordinator of the Red Cross, Umar Abdul Mairiga, relief workers are experiencing difficulties with accessing Baga due to heavy Military presence.
Mairiga said his team only just secured clearance to move, so a full team has been dispatched to act on Wednesday morning, He added that the town is still under military siege while activities are grinded to a halt over lack of food and water, the major precipitator of exodus of residents out of the town.
Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon has already criticized the killings, describing it as shocking and expressing his sadness with “the reports of high numbers of civilians killed.”
Similarly, the United States condemned the violence and the deaths, while human rights groups have censured the JTF for killing civilians as part of their widespread atrocities in the campaign against Boko Haram.
