President Muhammadu Buhari said last night that he “received with deep sadness and regret, the accidental bombing of a civilian community in Rann, Borno State, by the Nigerian Air Force, engaged in the final phase of mopping up insurgents in the North-east”.
A statement by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser, Media to the President said, “President Buhari condoles with families of the dead, wishes the wounded divine succour, leading to full recovery, and sympathizes with the Borno State government.
“The President pledges federal help for the state government in attending to ‘this regrettable operational mistake’, and pleads for calm, even as he prays God to grant repose to the souls of the dead.
Also, the wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Buhari has called for more support from Nigerians and friends of Nigeria to Federal Government’s effort in reviving the North East region, which has suffered severe devastation from insurgency.
She stated that four years without economic activity has subjected the affected people to victimization and extreme poverty.
Mrs. Buhari spoke during a courtesy call by the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, Mr. Zhou Pingjian, Tuesday, 17th January, 2017, at the State House, Abuja.
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She noted that the worst hit by the insurgency are women, many of whom have been widowed and children that have been orphaned.
She therefore urged for support from all Nigerians and friends of Nigeria in ameliorating the challenges.
Speaking on her flagship programme, Future Assured, Mrs. Buhari said a lot of effort has been made in terms of helping internally displaced persons (IDPs) as well as those of them that have returned to their communities.
She said the programme has intervened in 15 local governments and 500 families and is doing more, especially in the area of assisting the 150,000 unaccompanied children in the region.
On his part, the Chinese Ambassador, Mr. Zhou Pingjian said he came to visit the first lady in order to acknowledge the efforts of Future Assured Programme, which has achieved a lot in terms of assisting the underprivileged, especially in the North East of the country.
He appreciated her efforts on women and youth development and promised to support the Future Assured Programme whenever the need arises.
On the insurgency, the Ambassador said Nigeria has always been on the forefront of assisting other countries in need and therefore deserves to be assisted during its time of need.
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