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Boko Haram releases humanitarian workers, pastor, others

Published

5 years ago

on

June 14, 2021

By

Olusegun Odunewu

Boko Haram has reportedly released several humanitarian workers and other persons, including a pastor abducted in the North-East early this year.

Sources told journalists that the hostages were released by the jihadists after negotiation with the Federal Government on Monday.

Those released by the insurgents include a staff of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Abubakar Garba Idris aka Alooma, who was abducted along the Damaturu-Maiduguri Road in January and two clerics – Rev. Polycap Zango and one Barka Wasinda, among others.

READ ALSO: Northern Christians raise alarm over rising insecurity, blame Buhari

Zango, a pastor with the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Jos, Plateau State, was abducted by the jihadists on October 19 last year.

The hostages, according to the sources, are receiving medical support at a facility in Borno State.

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Vote-buying remains a major concern One of the strongest warnings from Osun was the continued presence of vote-buying and voter inducement. Yiaga Africa said the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were consistent with its independent statistical projections, but cautioned that this did not remove concerns about the integrity of voters' choices amid reports of vote-buying and inducement. The concern is particularly significant ahead of 2027, when political competition will take place nationwide and involve presidential, National Assembly and state-level contests. The International Republican Institute (IRI), following a pre-election assessment mission conducted in August, identified monetised political competition, election-related violence, insecurity and declining public confidence in INEC among the structural challenges facing the 2027 elections. 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Vote-buying remains a major concern One of the strongest warnings from Osun was the continued presence of vote-buying and voter inducement. Yiaga Africa said the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were consistent with its independent statistical projections, but cautioned that this did not remove concerns about the integrity of voters' choices amid reports of vote-buying and inducement. The concern is particularly significant ahead of 2027, when political competition will take place nationwide and involve presidential, National Assembly and state-level contests. The International Republican Institute (IRI), following a pre-election assessment mission conducted in August, identified monetised political competition, election-related violence, insecurity and declining public confidence in INEC among the structural challenges facing the 2027 elections. 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