The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki Moon says he is “shocked and saddened at the reports of high numbers of civilians killed, and homes destroyed, as a result of violence between military forces and an extremist group in the northeastern town of Baga in Borno State, Nigeria, on 19 and 20 April” a statement by the Officer-In-Charge, United Nations Information Centre, Lagos, Olajumoke Araba.
The statement also said “He expresses his condolences to the bereaved families and calls on all extremist groups to cease their attacks. The Secretary-General reiterates his firm conviction that no objective sought can justify this resort to violence. He underscores the need for all concerned to fully respect human rights and safeguard the lives of civilians.”
There have been conflicting figures as to how many people were killed during the gun battle. Authorities had found and buried at least 185 bodies as of Sunday afternoon, said Lawan Kole, a local government official in Baga.
The Defence Headquarters however put the death toll at 26. The Director Defence Information, Brigadier General Chris Kolade told journalists in Abuja that the information from the Defence Headquarters operations unit suggest that only 25 members of the insurgence were killed while the military lost one solider.