There is palpable tension in the North East geopolitical zone following allegations that a marked aircraft of the United Nations was intercepted while delivering supplies to members of the Boko Haram terrorist group.
While the Defence Headquarters is yet to officially confirm the incident considered dangerous and a serious setback to the fight against terrorism, eyewitness accounts from the Borno axis and viral reports indicated that the aircraft was reportedly grounded after being spotted in a restricted zone known to be a stronghold for the insurgents.
The development has sent jitters into the spines of the military high command against the backdrop of the United Nations (UN) being a primary partner in the humanitarian response in the region.
Information pieced together from sources close to the frontline alleged that the UN plane was carrying logistics and high-energy supplies that were not destined for any known Internally Displaced Persons camp, thus reignited long-standing suspicions among some local security circles that some international agencies may be playing a “double game” under the guise of humanitarian aid.
The trending news of the alleged capture of the UN aircraft has reportedly triggered a massive backlash on social media, with Nigerians demanding a transparent probe into the flight’s manifests and cargo logs.
Meanwhile, security around the Maiduguri International Airport and UN logistics hubs have been tightened as investigators move in to verify the tail number and origin of the flight.
It was gathered that the this is not the first time the Nigerian military and international aid bodies have had serious issues over security breaches and suspicion, but with the present direct hit on a UN-marked aircraft, there is bound to be a major and an unprecedented possible diplomatic crisis.
The UN Humanitarian Air Service has yet to issue a formal statement to explain the circumstances that led to its flight that was caught in the claims for supply run to terrorists.
