In a dramatic twist, the Nigerian Army has lifted a suspension it placed on activities of the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund in the North-East, after only six hours, quoting certain “interventions by well-meaning and concerned Nigerians.”
The Operation Lafiya Dole Theatre Command’s Spokesperson and Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col Onyema Nwachukwu, confirmed the lifting of the suspension in a release issued at about 10.50pm on Saturday.
Nwachukwu had earlier by 4pm on Friday said the army had suspended the operations of UNICEF in the North-East theatre until further notice, adding that the UN agency had shifted from “its duty of catering to the well-being of children and the vulnerable through humanitarian activities and now engaged in training selected persons for clandestine activities.”
“Consequently, the Theatre Command is suspending the operations of UNICEF in the North-East theatre until further notice. This has become inevitable since the organization has abdicated its primary duty of catering for the wellbeing of children and the vulnerable through humanitarian activities and now engaged in training selected persons for clandestine activities to continue sabotaging the counter-terrorism efforts.
“Information within the reach of this Command specifically indicates that the organisation commenced the said training on Wednesday in Maiduguri and ended on Thursday. The Theatre Command will not tolerate this sabotage from any individual, group of persons or organisation,” the army’s terse release had partly read.
The UNICEF as of press time had not officially reacted to the military’s release.
Calls put across to the UNICEF Chief of Communications, Eliana Drakopoulos, were not answered and a text message sent to her line had yet to be replied to as of press time.
But in a dramatic turn, the army said late on same Friday that “sequel to interventions by well-meaning and concerned Nigerians over the recent suspension of UNICEF operations in the North-East, it had withdrawn its suspension.
Nwachukwu said, “The Theatre Command Operation convened and held an emergency meeting with representatives of UNICEF on Friday evening.
“During the meeting, the Theatre Command admonished the representatives of the organisation to desist from activities inimical to Nigeria’s national security and capable of undermining the ongoing fight against terrorism and insurgency.
“Consequently, after extensive deliberations on the need to seek modalities to work harmoniously with the security agencies in the theatre of operation, the Theatre Command has henceforth lifted the three months suspension earlier imposed on UNICEF activities in North-East Nigeria.”
