UN Chief Condemns Bombing of Mosque in Northern Nigeria
In a statement issued by his spokesperson in New York, Ban condemned the deadly attack on what media reports were describing as one of the largest mosques in the northern Nigerian city of Kano, the Daily Times reported.
Dozens of people were killed and scores mores were injured when gunmen reportedly set off multiple bombs and fired on worshipers at the mosque.
The secretary-general conveyed his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and to the people and the government of Nigeria and wished swift recovery to the injured.
Calling on the Nigerian authorities to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice, Ban in his statement reiterated that there could be no justification for attacks on civilians.
“The secretary-general reaffirms the full support of the United Nations to Nigeria's efforts to fight terrorism and to provide security to the population consistent with international law and Nigeria's human rights obligations,” the statement concluded.
Friday's attack comes as the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reported that an attack earlier this week on the northern Nigerian town of Damassak, for which the group Boko Haram claimed responsibility, left 50 people dead and forced at least 3,000 to flee to the Diffa region in neighboring Niger.
