Ban, UNICEF condemn deadly suicide bombing at Nigerian school

In a statement issued on Monday by his spokesperson,  Ban reiterated his conviction that “no objective justifies wanton violence against civilians,” and called for the perpetrators to be “swiftly brought to justice through a process respectful of Nigeria’s human rights obligations and for adequate security measures to be provided for the protection of civilians.

“The Secretary-General is outraged by the frequency and brutality of attacks against educational institutions in the north of the country and reiterates his demand for an immediate cessation to these abominable crimes,” the statement said.

The attack took place earlier on Monday at the Government Science Technical School Potiskum in Yobe State.

The Secretary-General also extended his sincere condolences to the families of those who were killed, and to the Government and people of Nigeria.

In related news, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) also condemned the attack on the school.

“These repeated and relentless attacks on children and schools are attacks on the future of Nigeria, a country that already has the largest number of children out of school in the world,” UNICEF said in a statement.

“We call on those with the responsibility and power to bring the perpetrators of this cruel act to justice, and to uphold their responsibilities to protect children,” the statement also said.

Nigeria has witnessed numerous attacks in recent years, many of them carried out by the militant group known as Boko Haram.

A heap of broken furniture outside burnt classrooms at a government secondary school Mamudo in Yobe state, northern Nigeria. Photo: IRIN/Aminu Abubakar (file)