*Records 1,366 explosive incidents in 5 years

By Omeiza Ajayi

The United Nations, UN, has decried the indiscriminate use of improvised mines and other explosive devices in parts of the North East, saying in 2020 alone, no fewer than 422 persons were killed through explosions in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.

This came as it informed that about 1.5 million persons were currently at risk and needed life-saving assistance in the three states.

Noting that the use of indiscriminate improvised mines constitute an obstacle to the basic “right of safe freedom of movement”, the UN said it recorded 1,366 incidents involving explosive hazards in the three northeastern states in the last five years.

The UN said in the North East, explosive ordnance in their different forms continue to represent an immediate, grave and additional threat to already suffering populations.

Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the UN Systems in Nigeria, Mr Edward Kallon, disclosed this on yesterday at a Humanitarian Mine Action and Coordination Workshop organised by the United Nations Mine Action Service, UNMAS, at the UN House in Abuja.

He said: “These devices are also an obstacle to early recovery and development efforts. For the BAY states (Borno, Adamawa and Yobe), the United Nations Mine Action Service UNMAS collated 1,366 incidents involving explosive hazards from January 2016 to April 2021.

“There have been 129 fatalities due to Improvised Explosive Devices incidents recorded for 2020. In the same year, there have been 422 total civilian and non-civilian fatalities and casualties.

“Mines and other explosives are an everyday threat to civilian populations. We particularly condemn the use of improvised mines which kill and maim without discrimination. It is important to remind that such devices go against international humanitarian law. Restriction of safe freedom of movement, endangered everyday life, killing and maiming indiscriminately, purposely targeting civilians, causing unnecessary suffering is not acceptable. Populations shall be protected against such threats”.

He said with donors’ support, and under the coordination of the United Nations, especially through UNMAS, action is already taken by humanitarian partners such as the Youth Awakens Foundation, Danish Refugee Council and Mine Advisory Group to mitigate the effects of this threat through risk education and mapping of contaminated lands.

“I am pleased to stress that in the past year (2020) Mine Action organisations have provided critical life-saving information to mitigate the risk by Explosive Ordnance Risk Education, EORE, for 206,970 (41,081 men, 55,095 women, 58,907 boys and 51,887 girls) conflict affected communities, IDPs in camps, host communities, refugees and returnees.

“Mine action partners have conducted 179 Non-Technical Surveys in 16 LGAs across BAY states. As a result, safe lands could be returned for their primary purpose or for the creation and extension of IDP camps.

“Also, life-saving assistance was provided to 261 humanitarian workers of more than 40 UN agencies, International and National NGOs and Civil Society Organisations as well as stakeholders (government officials, service providers and caregivers) through explosive ordnance awareness to protect them during their travel and work,” Kallon stated.

1.5 million at risk
“A lot has been accomplished. However these efforts must be sustained. Following 2021 progress to precisely identify needs for mine action assistance with a focus on Physical and Mental Well-Being, the Humanitarian Needs Overview process has identified 1.5 million people immediately at risk and in need for life-saving assistance in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.

“Again with donors’ support, the Humanitarian Response Plan will target 350,000 individuals from all genders and age to facilitate with decisive lifesaving risk education, mapping and marking of hazardous areas, development of community owned protection and resilience mechanisms and identification of survivors and affected communities in 17 LGAs across BAY States,” he added.

According to him, the humanitarian and development community appreciates the relentless actions borne by Nigeria’s security forces to clear the roads of improvised mines and to dispose of Explosive Remnants of War.

“Considering the primary responsibility of the government of Nigeria to protect its population, the United Nations appreciates Nigeria’s commitment to comply with its obligations towards the Antipersonnel Mine Ban Convention. ‘’We encourage the activation of a National Mine Action Centre led by the Inter Ministerial Committee and the development of a national mine action strategy for survey and clearance of mines and other explosives in affected areas.

‘’The United Nations, especially through UNMAS, is more than willing to provide technical advice, coordination support and guidance for the Government of Nigeria to fulfill this objective.

“In order to reinforce national explosive ordnance management capacities, UNMAS conducted IED Disposal training for over 20 EOD operators of the National Police Force in Borno. Additionally, over 300 Nigeria Police Force, NPF and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, frontline officers in Borno were trained First Responder and Emergency Trauma Bag for the benefit of national security services providers,” Kallon added.

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He said it is important for stakeholders to recognise that the explosives littering North East Nigeria will survive the crisis and continue to affect the lives and livelihoods of thousands of people and plans to recover from the crisis.

“It requires to complement the immediate assistance with long-term response. While pursuing efforts to deliver lifesaving assistance to affected populations, the United Nations encourages the development of a nationally owned and coordinated response to this issue and commend past and future projects aimed at reinforcing the Nigerian capacities. The United Nations calls for a comprehensive response where no one is left behind. In this regards, it is essential to work towards reinforced assistance to survivors of explosions,” he stated.

Programme Manager, UNMAS, Mr Gilles Delecourt in his welcome remarks expressed the commitment of the service to continue to support Nigeria to develop and execute the national mine action strategy to enable humanitarian mine action work wherever it is needed.

The workshop which had participants from the defence, security, intelligence and emergency services was to discuss a broad set of mine action efforts, share ideas and experiences on different pillars with key partners and stakeholders.

At the workshop, UNMAS also launched a Gender Baseline Assessment in strengthening explosive ordnance threat-mitigation capacities of the Nigeria Police Force NPF and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC in North East Nigeria.

Vanguard News Nigeria