Nigerian army confirms Boko Haram attack on WFP's convoy, denies civilian deaths

LAGOS, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian Army on Monday confirmed an attack coordinated by the Boko Haram insurgents against the trucks of the World Food Program (WFP) in restive northeast Borno on Saturday.

In a statement sent to reporters in Maiduguri, the state capital, Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, the Theater Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, also denied the killings of civilians during the attack.

Nicholas said the troops escorting the trucks had killed six insurgents and recovered weapons, noting that there were no civilian casualties in the attack, adding that he was at Dikwa when the incident occurred.

"There was an ambush but the soldiers killed six Boko Haram insurgents and recovered weapons. No civilian was killed," he added.

However, the Wold Food Program (WFP) on Sunday said a driver of its hired truck and three other persons were killed in an attack at Ngala in Gamboru-Ngala Local Government Area of Borno.

Adedeji Ademigbuji, the Communication Associate of the WFP, said in a statement issued in Maiduguri that a convoy of the WFP's hired trucks conveying food items were attacked by gunmen 35 kilometers South-West of Ngala on Saturday.

He said the convoy escorted by the military were conveying food stuff for distribution to the vulnerable Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the area.

He said a driver of the hired truck, his assistant and two other persons were killed in the attack.

"WFP confirmed that a convoy escorted by the Nigerian Military including WFP hired trucks were subject of attack by armed groups, 35 km southwest of Ngala in Borno, on Dec. 16," he added.

"Four people, including the driver of a WFP hired truck and his assistant, were killed in the incident," the spokesperson said.

"WFP is working with the authorities to determine the whereabouts of the trucks," Ademigbuji said.

Nigeria has made considerable gains against the terror group, dislodging its fighters from the Sambisa Forest, the group's largest training camp in the country, early this year.

Boko Haram has been blamed for the death of more than 20,000 people and displacing of 2.3 million others in Nigeria since 2009. Enditem