Coalition reacts to lifting of ban on UNICEF

The Coalition Against Terrorism in Nigeria (CATE) has reacted to the lifting of the ban placed on the activities of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) by the Nigerian army.

On Friday, the army suspended the activities of UNICEF in the north-eastern part of the country.

It accused the organisation of working for Boko Haram insurgents and sabotaging the war against insurgency.

However, in a dramatic u-turn, the army lifted the suspension in less than six hours, a decision it said followed “intervention by well-meaning Nigerians”.

Reacting to the development, CATE lauded the army for rescinding its decision.

While addressing a press conference on Saturday, Grabrial Onoja, national president of the group, called on international bodies to look into the issue.

“On Saturday December 15, 2018 the Nigerian Army reversed a decision to indefinitely suspend the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) from the northeast of the country,” he said.

“Some hours preceding the reversal, on Friday December 14, 2018 we became aware that the Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole, leading the anti-terrorism war in the North-East of Nigeria had indefinitely suspended the operations of UNICEF in the area.

“UNICEF is one of the many international and indigenous organizations that are present in the North East, where the understanding is that each and every one of these organizations are involved in providing relief and succour to the persons affected by the years of Boko Haram’s insurgency and terrorism. This is a legitimate undertaken to the extent that actors stick to the roles for which they are accredited to maintain presence in that axis.

“The reason cited by the Nigerian Army for suspending UNICEF included the accusation that the organization was engaged in unwholesome activities that aided Boko Haram terrorists.

“While we commend the Nigerian Army for taken the bold decision to reverse its suspension of UNICEF after earlier suspending it over its questionable activities, we think it is important that these infractions should be reviewed against the backdrop of Nigeria’s anti-terrorism legislation.”