Tension in Maiduguri as soldiers search UN building for arms

August 11, 2017Abdulkareem Haruna

Nigerian Army

Residents of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, woke up to a disturbing news about soldiers invading a United Nations building.

The soldiers, according to PREMIUM TIMES checks, were there in search of arms that were allegedly smuggled into the building by UN officials.

The building invaded by the soldiers is popularly known as Red Roof. It was acquired by the UN which currently uses it as a hostel for its personnel. Red Roof was a property of a former governor of Borno State, late Mala Kachalla.

Sources familiar with the incident said the soldiers arrived the Red Roof building in dozens at about 2 a.m., when they immediately secured all routes leading to the building.

A personnel of UN who witnessed the incident said the soldiers said they acted base on an information made available to them by the SSS that they observed sinister movement going on within the expansive property that was fenced with high walls.

The source, who pleaded anonymity because he was not permitted to speak to the media, informed PREMIUM TIMES that the incident has since promoted the UN to suspend its humanitarian activities in the state.

“The soldiers came at about 2 a.m. and surrounded the entire area around the UN building. And at about 3 a.m., they demanded that they wanted to go into the building to search for arms.

“But the UN officials denied them access insisting that it was against their policy to allow armed soldiers invade their offices or buildings, especially at such odd hours of the night.”

The soldiers, who were led by one colonel said they got information from the SSS that arms were being ferried into the buildings in large wooden containers.

“We all know there was nothing like that because the containers that they were referring to were building materials which the UN is using to upgrade or build some structures sitting the acquired property. Presently the property serves as a place of accomodation for all the UN humanitarian workers in Maiduguri.

“When the soldiers wanted to force their way into the property, the security men had to lock the gate.”

The source the soldiers and the UN security personnel argued for hours until about 7 a.m.when they finally allowed them in.

“They searched the entire building and found nothing”, said the source.

“The soldiers later withdrew from the area at about 7.45 a.m.”

The search of the UN building happened a day after rumours went wild on social media that the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, was being housed in the said building.

PREMIUM TIMES arrived the scene of the incident at about 7.45 a.m. only to catch the glimpse of the soldiers leaving the premises of the UN building.

A civil society leader in Borno State, Ahmed Shehu, was also at the scene of the incident at the time PREMIUM TIMES arrived the Red Roof.

He said the civil society would investigate what led to such hostile disposition of soldiers towards the UN.

“We got the information late last night that this place has been surrounded by soldiers, that is why we are here,” he said.

“But whatever may be the soldiers reason, the invasion was not a good indicator for security. Already, people are agitated and are even bearing wrong perception about the humanitarian workers here. This could embolden the IDPs who see the humanitarian workers as their enemies.

“It is even sad to hear that all UN flights coming into Maiduri have been cancelled for today; though it has not been confirmed.”

He said civil society networks will meet with the UN officials and probably come up with a statement later.

Attempts to get across to the spokesperson of the military command and control centre in Borno, Onyema Okechukwu, wasn’t successful as his phone was switched off.

One of the media officials of the UN in Maiduguri, Rabiu Musa, was contacted on phone to confirm the incident. But he said he could not immediately comment on the issue because he was out of town.

He promised to revert as soon as he becomes acquianted with what actually happened.

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Top News

beachcomber2000

THE BUHARI GOVERNMENT NEVER HAD A GOLDEN MOMENT SINCE MAY 29, 2015.

IT BLUNDERED ALL THROUGH ON ALL THINGS WITHOUT GETTING ANYTHING RIGHT.
Suleiman Alatise

There is no smoke without fire.
thusspokez

Residents of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, woke up to a disturbing news about soldiers invading a United Nations building.

The army would need special permission from the President to do this. It is like invading the US embassy. It is not done!
- Usher- Join The Revolution
  
  It is done! The fucked up state is still under State of Emergency and if you know what that means then you should also know that even an embassy in that God forsaken state is searchable without any farking warrant!!
  - Mafioso
    
    @disqus_AfcKLH8pp5:disqus @
    
    There’s no bigger illiterate gathering of ignoramuses in Nigeria than APC stalwarts
    whose un-reasoned and self-refuting arguments grate good sense when they try
    with silliness to persuade Nigerians to accept to be governed by photographs of
    Muhamadu Buhari on medical self-exile in London, and then say that he’s fully fit
    and convalescent, except that he’s taking some multivitamins. Alas, there are
    no multivitamins that must be taken only in London!
    
    It is such nefarious APC argument devoid of reasoning that redounds to the
    detriment of those who sink inside Nigeria from the egregious error of voting
    Muhamadu Buhari and APC party dunderheads into power – a party studded
    with local Muslims; devoid of ethics, given to stealing, and, bereft of properly
    educated people with the ability to think properly from premise to conclusion.
    - Usher- Join The Revolution
      
      Wrong section to post this trash.
      - Mafioso
        
        @disqus_AfcKLH8pp5:disqus
        
        I am sorry. I think you are right in terms of the headline. But see! A government of APC
        that is invading United Nations building must be assessed for continuum. This sort of
        blunder is not an isolated event. From the beginning APC has been taking very silly
        decisions, spying on internet bloggers, setting up all sorts of spies to control the
        thought-process like a useless dictatorship in disguise. It may not be too bad
        to put APC government in perspective on its running string of utter failures.
    - Facturafigura
      
      COST OF LIVING IN NIGERIA TODAY UNDER BUHARI:
      
      • Minimum wage in Nigeria………………………………………….₦18,000 per month.
      • A bottle of Coca Cola soft drink…………………………………₦80.00k per bottle.
      • Smallest can of Baygon insecticide………………………..₦1,200 per tin.
      • A tin of TITUS sardines……………………………………………₦270.00 per tin.
      • Rent of three bedroom apartment…………………………₦450,000 per annum.
      • A packet of St.Louis Sugar………………………………………₦550.00 per packet.
      • A 25kg bag of garri as staple food………………………..₦14,000 per bag.
      • Petrol for six hours of private electricity…………………..₦60,000 a month.
      • Cost of preparing soup for family of six…………………..₦6,000 every two days.
      • Ceeway drinking water ………………………………………₦550 per gallon.
      • School fees for a child in private school………………….₦2 million per session.
      • Cost of two (2) newspapers a day for information……….₦15,000 per month.
      • One packet of Solpadeine headache tablets……………..₦5,400 per packet.
      • Cost of filling up a salon car with petrol……………………..₦10,700 to fill up a car.
      • Private sector graduate starting salary………………………₦80,000 per month.
      - Man_Enough
        
        sporadic interjection or discussing what is not the topic on the table is called, “beating about the bush”
      - s.o. ikomi
        
        @Man_Enough:disqus
        
        WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? I HAVE NOT HAD ELECTRICITY IN MY AREA SINCE APRIL
        
        AND YOU ARE SAYING I SHOULD ONLY TALK ABOUT A UNITED NATIONS BUILDING.
      - Man_Enough
        
        there is something called “topic of discussion”.
- emmanuel
  
  See what low self esteem and self worth has done to you? Your case is a classic example of colo-mentality. So invading the UN is like invading the US embassy. Haba monkey! So na US get UN? Are US citizens with 2 heads or 1 head like you? Now I know what Mar Tubman meant when she said;
  
  “I freed 1,000 slaves. I could have freed 1,000 more ONLY if they knew they were slaves”
  
  Yeye fowl!
  - thusspokez
    
    So invading the UN is like invading the US embassy.
    
    Look up the word “analogy” in a good dictionary. Obviously, your understanding of the English language needs improvement.
    
    It is even more serious raiding a UN office than raiding a US building because the UN represents 193 sovereign states and the USA, and Nigeria are some of them. It is a diplomatic mission and enjoys diplomatic status across the world — more so that even the US does.
    
    What people like you don’t know is that diplomatic protocol forbids any host country to enter the premises or embassy and office of any country unless granted permission by that country’s representative — without this, it would amount to a territorial invasion because the land on which the buildings stand are, in effect, the territory of that country or mission that owns the building.
    
    Try and improve your knowledge of the Charter of the United Nations before commenting; and stop being proud of your ignorance and displaying it to the world
    - International games
      
      My friend UN is a scam. Nigeria did not even exist when they formed it. The fame is rigged and you want us to continue under the nonsense? One VOTE is equal to 100. Is that logical to you, Mr UN?
- International games
  
  Shut up. Who puts Embassy in War zone?
thusspokez

…they got information from the SSS that arms were being ferried into the buildings in large wooden containers.

“They searched the entire building and found nothing”, said the source.

This tells you the level of mediocrity of the SSS. But the SSS carry guns too, why hadn’t it carry out the raid itself? My guess is that it knew that such raid will cause serious diplomatic incidence — it is like raiding a foreign embassy –, so it tricked the army to do it and take the blame.

But the army over the decades have worked closely with the UN, by way of providing soldiers for peace missions abroad, so one would expect the army to know the diplomatic status and role of the UN, yet no one high up in the army had cautioned the mumu colonel who led the raid, and about the possible diplomatic fallout.
- FreeNigeria
  
  The mumu colonel was sent by the more mumu beer parlor generals.
- ’70
  
  Same silly SSS that messed Magu up… That whole organization should be shaken inside out, so many incompetent operatives starting from that Daura guy… You noticed crates and didn’t quickly intercept them? What a country!
Abdullah Musa

I stand with Nigerian army.
Four hours was sufficient time to hide incriminating items.
We do not know it, but we are better off without involvement of the UN.
They never mean any good.
- Edimondo
  
  @thusspokez:disqus;
  
  But where really is the president of Nigeria?
  
  The Hausa/Fulani/Kanuri Muslims standing behind a sick president Buhari,
  with Yoruba Muslims, whilst Nigeria is sinking in the worst form of economic
  recession threatening human dignity, will likely take the same stance even if
  Buhari dies. In Islamist solidarity they will say a dead Buhari is then even
  more qualified to be retained as president of Nigeria because he shall have
  acquired divine powers in heaven to govern Nigeria better from the grave.
  
  This is the extent
  of the rot in public discussion discussion in Nigeria today. It is not
  just about illiteracy, it is not just about Jihadist Islamism, it is also about
  nonrational thinking without logic, care or attention to the country’ overall
  interest. For if a physically healthy thoughtful and present president were not
  needed in Nigeria why did the country waste billions of Naira to conduct the
  last presidential election in 2015?
  - Abdullah Musa
    
    Obsession beclouds judgement.
    Were it an examination you would fail woefully because you wrote out of point.
    Save your breath, Buhari will not lead Nigeria forever, the looters will have opportunity to kill the nation.
    Meanwhile Yemi Osinbajo as Acting president has all the powers to run Nigerua.
    But it is possible you don’t recognise him.
- thusspokez
  
  We do not know it, but we are better off without involvement of the UN.
  
  Nigeria needs the UN, the UN doesn’t need Nigeria.
  
  [1] Nigeria can’t feed it citizens, many die of starvation, so Nigeria turns to the UN for help.
  
  [3] Nigerian children are dying from disease, again Nigeria turns to the UN for help.
  
  [4] Nigerian has massive refugee (IDP) problems, Nigeria turns to the UN for help.
  
  [5] Nigeria’s governments need planning data on Nigeria which it does not have, so Nigeria turns to the UN to provide Nigeria, its own data collected by the UN for its own projects in Nigeria.
  
  [6] Nigeria needs money to develop her economy, so it turns to the UN (IMF) for loan.
  
  [7] Nigeria needs global support to fight boko haram, so Nigeria turns to the UN to help her gather global support and impose sanctions on anyone helping or financing boko harams.
  
  I have presented just a few of the things Nigeria benefits from the UN. Now it is your turn to provide la few things which the UN benefits from Nigeria.
  - Abdullah Musa
    
    A plant that needs to grow does not need the shade of the tree over it.
    The UN system was created to assuage the conscience of western citizens over the destructive activities of their leaders in less developed countries.
    Were the leadership of less developed countries not mentally retarded, they could have rejected the western-imposed UN system in its entirety and developed and funded their own.
    - thusspokez
      
      If that is how you feel about the UN, what is keeping you in the UN? Go ahead and demand that the Nigerian government withdraw its member ship of the UN. Problem solved! The UN will then have nothing to do with Nigeria even if it later comes begging for help.
      - Abdullah Musa
        
        No.
        Nigeria is made up of people like you who see nothing wrong with the UN system.
        And I am sure current leadership cannot think of life without UN intervention.
        But I reserve the right to express my displeasure with the system, to distrust it.
      - thusspokez
        
        Nigeria is made up of people like you…
        
        If Nigeria were made of people like me, it would be in the top 3 of nations on earth.
        
        I reserve the right to express my displeasure with the system, to distrust it.
        
        Of course, but you don’t deserve the right or your (unseasonable) displeasure and distrust to be taken seriously by other people.
      - Abdullah Musa
        
        You know what makes life beautiful?
        The right to be an individual.
        Why should I care if you don’t take me seriously?
        Should I stop using perfume because you lost your sense of smell?
        May be you earn a living from UN, it is your right.
        But I distrust UN, it is my right.
        Or must I love UN because you do?
      - thusspokez
        
        The right to be an individual.
        
        You may have right of…,but exercising that right is constrained by the right of others and society.
        
        Should I stop using perfume because you lost your sense of smell?
        
        It had never occurred to me that people who wear perfume do so to please other people.
        
        May be you earn a living from UN, it is your right.
        
        An alternative explanation may well that since leaning about the UN at age 6, the little kid’s interest in the UN has not waned.
        
        Or must I love UN because you do?
        
        Let’s say: ‘Each to their own’. But you are mistaking if you think that this discussion is about who loves the UN. Well you may think that, but I don’t.
      - Abdullah Musa
        
        You misunderstood my example of perfume.
        What I mean by the whole lengthy discussion is that our views on UN can differ.
        And mine is not unreasonable just because you said so.
      - thusspokez
        
        You misunderstood my example of perfume
        
        No, I hadn’t. It is the way you had constructed it. So, don’t blame me, I have no way of knowing what you are thinking except from what I read in your comment.
        
        And mine is not unreasonable just because you said so.
        
        Conversely, yours is not reasonable just because you say so.
Fidelis Odia

@abdullahmusa:disqus

IS NIGERIA UNDER BUHARI A FAILED STATE? It looks like one bloody abattoir without law and order.
We read last week that gunmen entered a church in Igboland and just killed off scores of congregants.
No arrests were made, nothing. If a church is not safe how can the United Nations building become safe?

There is no public official in Nigeria’s prison who is serving jail sentence for stealing or for any corruption?
Buhari’s spokesman Garba Shehu is therefore talking rubbish that we accept Buhari’s photo as a president.
Muhamadu Buhari has no knowledge or physical ability to fight mosquitoes; to talk more of fight any corruption.
Man_Enough

finding nothing does not diminish the necessity of clearing the air on a very serious suspicion. if the office was clean, why did they not allow the soldiers to search? within those 4 hours of delay, they must have hidden the incriminating items. UN staffers are no saints.
- okenwa
  
  So your soldiers went without weapon dictators?
George

When GEJ said the UN and USA+UK governments undermining his government efforts to fight boko haram APC said he was lying then now monkeys and baboons are coming home to roasts I wish them all evil day in day out evils will consume them all.

Confusion will follow them and sorrows will be their foods. When they cries no one to listen to them and they will listen to no one.
International games

At last. Nigerian Army are finding the real culprits. What kind of United Nations is this? If soldiers said there is suspicious weapon in your house, shouldn’t you say PLEASE COME IN AND SEARCH?
Instead they held the soldiers for five hours while they buried it and contacted the big men traitors in Nigeria to call the boys back.
Our security men in DSS and Military should ignore their fake ogas and keep an eye on these UN and UK an USA people. Even Iran and Saudi Arabia.
- Dr Abba
  
  Leave Iran out of it. Besides Iran and Saudi Arabia aren’t on the same side.
Simeon Nigel

Suddenly than ever before, the USA, France and UN were running a massive military bases in Cameroon and in Niger; the two most closest Nigeria”s neighbours. Sometimes, if one takes a closer observation or look at some of Abubakar Shekau, the notorious and satanic leader of the evil Boko Haram group’s videos in the YOUTUBE platform, one will clearly see that the types of military weapons being displays by Boko Haram does appear to be that of the USA and France types of standard battlefield weapons and vehicles. So, the UN offices are inside Borno solely to be serving or providing as a conduct logistic channels for supplying Boko Haram with all the relevant and necessary weapons for them to keep on putting up the tempos of their evil attacks and destructions against the Nigeria state in North-east region with the sole aims of weakening or killing the strong strengths of Nigeria’s national higher value Naira currency in the entire Africa sub-sharan region. Which this same Naira currency’s higher value that made the Late Ranold Regan, the former USA president in 1979 – 1984 to be mounting heavy political diplomacy pressures against the Nigerian state for the Naira curreny to be devalue or downgraded to a near “worthlessness” level for just in order that the USA to have a greater opportunity to acquire most of the majority of Nigerian natural resources under a very Cheap costs or practically purchasing them for “peanuts equivelent of ‘a kind of patry’ costs” level. As well as the possibility of taking full control of the entire Nigerian oil and natural resources productions almost for free in the future some day. As for the France, their secret suporting Boko Haram is for ensuring that the entire North-East region and some parts of Lake Chad region should be under its whole control, which is why Boko Haram up till today they keep on striving and posing so difficult to finish them-off by the Nigeria military and as also BHT today still being harbour right inside Cameroon, L/Chad and Niger soils now sharing borders with Nigeria. The UN office is a secret base offices for monitoring for the strenghts and weaknesses of the Nigerian Militray capabilities on behalf of Boko Haram evil sect, which they (i.e UN) also passing one vital informations supply to them by UN offices in Borno state capital and the same secret information are been pass on to Boko Haram for them to strategies better in their new many ways of evil approaches towards hitting so deeply hard against the Nigerian militray troops. Thereby weakening greatly majority of Nigerian troops’ morals and motivational human tracits in them for not to fights hard against Boko Haram sects. Even there are some Nigerian military personnel that were collecting secretelty some huge amounts of “back-hand goodies” from the USA and Frances military bases in exchange for vital and crucial information about Nigeria soldiers’s front-lines fighting BHT terror groups in order also to be boasting up the motivation of the evil Boko Haram sects into continuing their devilish attacks against majority ordinary Nigerian civilians and also against the entire nigeria state itself on year in year out basis till today
- Tommy Soto
  
  Wake them up and Teach on Broda!
  Respect!
Tommy Soto

“The search of the UN building happened a day after rumours went wild on social media that the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, was being housed in the said building.”

I keep saying that these BH criminals are western financed scoundrels. Seems like they almost always know where to strike the most vulnerable.
- thusspokez
  
  The UN does everything strictly by the book. Do you seriously believe that the UN will harbour a fugitive? I don’t know whether to cry for you Nigerians. You level of ignorance is truly astonishing.
  - El spirito
    
    It’s really funny…..social media is now the source of such sensitive information.
    Make UN comot hand for naija make we see how body go be us…
  - Tommy Soto
    
    Speaking of ignorance, hit your favorite search engine and gain some knowledge.
    
    ‘UN admits playing role in cholera outbreak that killed almost 10,000 people in Haiti’
    
    ‘UN acknowledges involvement in Haiti cholera outbreak for first time’
    
    ‘How The World’s Biggest Peacekeeping Organization Killed 10,000 People’
    
    By Nickolaus Hines on September 2, 2016
    - thusspokez
      
      I suggest you pay attention to the discussion here and now. Where where you when all these issues you raise where being discussed on the Internet, years ago? You waited for decade to discuss them today?
      - Tommy Soto
        
        I refuted your blanket statement the the UN is holier than thou which is a fallacy. The issue is the UN’s track record which isn’t perfect by a kilometer. And save the personal stuff, concentrate and stay on issue.
        
        “thusspokez Tommy Soto • 17 hours ago
        
        The UN does everything strictly by the book.”
      - thusspokez
        
        I refuted your blanket statement…
        
        You refuted nothing.
        
        The idiom “strictly by the book” means doing things in accordance with established rules or regulations. What part of this statement did you refute?
      - Tommy Soto
        
        Established rules by whom? Who gifted the land that the United Nations building sits on? I’ll tell you, John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil. Who financed Rockefeller? I’ll tell you, the global banking cabal of the Rothschild banking family. These same powerful entities that extract the resources of Nigeria, and help most Nigerian looters hide and shield financial resources that could bring the country into the 21st century and make her self-sufficient and economically robust.
        These rules and policies were put in place to keep colonial powers in power and developing nations undeveloped.
        Ask yourself, why are Africans risking life and limb to cross deserts and the Mediterranean Sea to survive? I’ll tell you, because of these polices that keep the rich nations rich and financially poor nations poor. Crack open some more books in your spare time.
      - thusspokez
        
        Rockefeller yada yada yada! You are boring me with your balderdash!
jon

Please kich this UN out of there we don’t need them
- thusspokez
  
  Yeah kick them out – you say!
  
  And who is going to feed those of you Nigerians starving to death?
  Or who is going to provide medicine and nutritious food to your dying babies?
  Or who is going to look after your refugees or IDPs?
  
  Yeah kick them out and then crawl back to them begging on your knees for them to come back!
El Patron

I don’t trust these U.N. guys
Alhaji bukar mala

They should park out of maiduguri many people who were release or rune away from captivity of bokoharam are saying that the ngos are visiting the bokoharam people and giving them money and food with armination so they should leave the state or people will take the law into their hands and be stoning them where ever they were seen