Nigerian soldier kills aid worker, another soldier, injures UN helicopter pilot

By Olanrewaju Kola

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AA) – A Nigerian soldier shot and killed a humanitarian worker and a fellow soldier, while injuring a UN helicopter co-pilot at a military base in northeastern Nigeria.

The incident occurred at a base in the town of Damboa, the Nigerian military said on Thursday evening.

“A soldier shot and killed a staff of one of the NGOs providing humanitarian support in the North East. Same soldier also killed another soldier and injured the co-pilot of one of the UN helicopters,” Maj. Samson Zhakom, an army spokesman in Nigeria’s northeast, said in a statement on Twitter.

“Own troops on the ground immediately neutralized the errant personnel,” he added.

The aid worker killed was working with Médecins du Monde, or Doctors of the World, according to Matthias Schmale, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria.

In a statement issued on Friday, he condemned the “deeply disturbing and sad” attack.

“I laud the government and the military’s efforts to speedily investigate yesterday’s incident and urge them to strengthen remedial measures to prevent similar incidents in the future,” said Schmale.