Military Raids UN Building In Maiduguri For `Smuggled Arms`

The United Nations `Red Roof` building in Maiduguri was, around 2 a.m. on Friday, raided by men of the Nigeria military.

The Red Roof building, which serves as hostel for UN personnel in Maiduguri, Borno State, was searched for alleged smuggled arms, Premium Times reports.

The online newspaper gathered from a reliable source that the building was purchased by the UN from late Mala Kachalla, a former governor of Borno State.

According to the source, the raid on the building had since prompted the UN to suspend its humanitarian activities in Maiduguri.

“The soldiers came at about 2 a.m. and surrounded the entire area around the UN building. And at about 3 a.m., they demanded that they wanted to go into the building to search for arms,” said the source.

“But the UN officials denied them access insisting that it was against their policy to allow armed soldiers invade their offices or buildings, especially at such odd hours of the night.”

Dispelling claims by soldiers that they acted on information from the SSS that arms were lodged in the building, the source said, “We all know there was nothing like that because the containers that they were referring to were building materials which the UN is using to upgrade or build some structures sitting the acquired property. Presently the property serves as a place of accommodation for all the UN humanitarian workers in Maiduguri.

“When the soldiers wanted to force their way into the property, the security men had to lock the gate.

“They searched the entire building and found nothing.

“The soldiers later withdrew from the area at about 7.45 a.m.,” the source said.