On Thursday, 1st March, 2018, the
Islamic State affiliate in West Africa (ISWAP), also known as Boko Haram
attacked and overran a heavily guarded military facility in the small town of
Rann in Northern Borno state. The invading forces wreaked remarkable havoc,
with scores of casualties on soldiers and international aid workers. Three
persons, a nurse and two midwives, connected with the work of some
international aid agencies in the Lake Chad region were kidnapped. The ISWA
forces also carted away military hardwares, arms and ammunition from the
military base. It is not certain the exact casualty figures to the army.
But
a gory image of soldiers shot at close range, with hands tied behind their
backs, days after the attack suggested that the terror group overran the
facility. Also, a frantic audio recording by one of the kidnapped midwife
confirmed the barbaric onslaught. Following this, UNICEF, one of the
international aid agencies involved in health and crisis mitigation activities
in the Lake Chad region released a statement on its website affirming that “one
of these brave workers who lost their lives, and the nurse who is missing, were
on the front line providing critical services supported by UNICEF.”
UNICEF’s statement did not disclose
the identity of the kidnapped nurse who was working at its instance. She is
Mrs. Alice Loksha Ngaddah, mother of two. Our enquiry further revealed that
Mrs. Ngaddah’s aged mother died unexpectedly, two weeks ago as a result of
trauma over her daughter’s kidnap by the terror group. Documents obtained by
this reporter from ISWAP sources paint the picture of one working for and being
paid by UNICEF, an impression that is at variance with the portrait quoted from
UNICEF website.
Efforts to get the family members to
respond to this reporter’s questions fell on deaf ears as no one in Ngaddah
family was willing to talk openly. Nevertheless, neighbours close to the family
and who have borne the trauma with them mentioned that UNICEF personnel were on
the ground at the funeral of Mrs Ngaddah’s mother and frequently updated the
family on its efforts to address the situation.
The other two victims, namely Hauwa
Mohammed Liman and Saifura Husseini Ahmed have had members of their families
claiming that they had been engaged through a contract by the International
Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC, arguing that it was at the instance of the
Committee that Liman and Ahmed were at the location of the kidnap. Two of Miss
Liman’s colleagues in Maiduguri, also working as field health workers spoke
with this reporter, highlighting a presumed dichotomy between the privileges
generously enjoyed by the expatriate personnel as against the short end of the
sticks that local staff are left with. “We’re disturbed because if this kidnap
incidence affected any foreign staff, it will be all over the place while
efforts are made for their release.”
Their sentiment underline the
curious silence pervade the kidnap incidence both from the international aid
agencies as well as from the Federal government. “We, the local staff takes far
more risks because we are the only ones who can go to where our foreign
colleagues cannot dare,” argued Liman’s colleagues. A diplomat with a UN agency
in Abuja who will not be named laid the cards bare, “the only reason we are
arguing whether or not those abducted were employed directly by UNICEF or ICRC
is because they are not expatriates.”
Investigations reveal that the
entire health care value chain in several states in the North East had been
rendered bare without staffing and equipment, forcing an army of underpaid and
unmotivated health personnel to seek out alternative offers. Accordingly, in
Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, many health workers either directly or through third
party consultants secure jobs with international aid agencies or Non
Governmental Organizations. Family members of Liman and Ahmed seemed surprised
by suggestions that they were not ICRC staff. “We are under the impression that
our daughter was employed and being paid by the ICRC. That’s the only reason
why we allowed her to work on her own because the ICRC is a globally respected
organization,” said sources in Liman’s family house.
Dr. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, former
chairman, National Human Rights Commission, when approached for insight stated:
“I can’t speak generally, whatever I say is limited by the fact and context of
the individual contractual agreement. Most of the major institutions in this
situation are agents of entities that often have diplomatic immunity.
So there sub-contractors of say
UNDP, UN Agencies to whom diplomatic cover extends to preclude them from direct
legal responsibility and also because of their insurance limitations.” He
pointed out that a lot of Nigerians under the circumstances whereby “economic
duress puts the local staff at a disadvantage to negotiating for the best
possible contract.”
Sources within ISWAP confirm that
the health workers are alive and are in good condition, but are unwilling to
link their release to any condition or time frame. ICRC official that this reporter
contacted stated that “even though they were not employed by us, we at ICRC are
concerned for the two midwives as they worked alongside us. We demanded that
they be released immediately and unconditionally,” stated the ICRC’s
communications coordinator in the region, Aleksandra Matijevic Mosimann. She
further stated that given the sensitive nature of the situation and in the best
interest of the kidnapped persons, they were not obligated to provide further
details.
Written by Ahmad Salkida
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