UN Abuja bombing shocking, attack on global peace - Deputy Secretary-General

UN Deputy secretary-General

DR. ASHA-ROSE MIGIRO(Right)

UN Abuja bombing shocking, attack on global peace - Deputy Secretary-General

Rafat Salami and Godwin Ukaa, Abuja.

UN Deputy Secretary-General Dr Asha-Rose Migiro on Sunday in Abuja described the attack on its office in the Nigerian capital as “a shocking incident and an attack on global peace and communities’’.

Migiro made the remark during a guided tour of the blast site in company of Foreign Affairs minister Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru.

She said the nature of the blast would have caused more damage if not for the secured nature of the building which accommodates 26 agencies of the UN with 400 workers.

As you can see this building is very well secured.

Death Toll

It’s very well built given the nature of the bombing; we could not have found this building standing, so that talks about the amount of security that went into securing this building.

``I have looked at the ripped off gate it is amazing how this happened and we are grappling with that right now and investigation is underway and we will see what we have to do better, but as it was it gives us a comfort that the building was secured enough but we can do more given this kind of terrorism.’’

Meanwhile official report made avail to the media takes the death toll from 18 on Saturday to 21 persons, 73 injured, 26 of them in the intensive care unit, While 4 seriously injured, have been evacuated to South Africa.

The UN deputy secretary-general Asha Rose Migiro while expressing regrets about the tragedy said the search and rescue teams were still working on the sites.

Laid bouquet

Responding to whether or not there are plans to evacuate the injured victims to hospitals abroad, she says they have enormous confidence on the ability Nigerian doctors and the hospitals.

A suicide bomber rammed into two separate exit gates of the UN house in Abuja last Friday, killing 21 persons and injuring scores.

The UN has confirmed nine of its workers dead in the attack, while others were contract security guards and cleaners and visitors at the premises during the blast.

Migiro and Ashiru observed a one-minute silent prayer for the departed and laid bouquet at the blast site.

Nigeria’s Minister of Health Professor Onyecbuchi Chukwu told newsmen on Sunday that although many of the victims are responding positively to treatment, death toll could still rise.

Medical Bills

The Minister of Health alongside visiting UN Deputy Secretary General Asha Rose Migiro on Sunday visited the patients at the national hospital in Abuja.

Meanwhile, the Administration of the Federal Capital Territory,has offered to foot the medical bills of all the victims of the bomb blast at the United Nations building last Friday in Abuja, Nigeria’s Capital.

The Territory’s Minister of State, Olajumoke Akinjide made the promise after visiting the victims at the different hospitals in the Capital City where they are admitted and are receiving treatment

Iheanacho