By Promise Eze
A Nigerian soldier on a shooting spree opened fire at a helicopter and stabbed a foreign aid worker on Thursday in Damboa town in Nigeria’s northeastern state of Borno, according to a humanitarian source.
The soldier reportedly went to the helipad and insulted the aircrew and humanitarians, “calling them all sorts of names.”
The soldier would later fire his weapon at the captain and aid workers. It has not been confirmed if the pilot was injured.
According to the source, while the aid workers were fleeing, one of the expatriates fell to the ground, and she was stabbed multiple times.
A colleague who attempted to stop and disarm the rampaging soldier was also stabbed. The assailant would later be shot dead.
The military, in a statement confirmed the incident stating the soldier “shot and killed a staff of one of the NGOs providing humanitarian support in the North East.” Adding that he also killed his colleague and injured the co-pilot of one of the UN helicopters before he was killed.
Military bases are usually the location of helipads used by helicopters serving air bridges for humanitarian workers and materials.
An attempt to reach the UNHCR for comment was unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
