Breaking: Idris Alooma UNHCR staff regains freedom from Boko Haram
Breaking: Idris Alooma UNHCR staff regains freedom from Boko Haram
By Musa Bukar, Maiduguri
United Nation High Commission for Refugees Staff, Abubakar Garba Idris Alooma has regained his freedom from the captivity of Boko Haram insurgents.
Aloma, A humanitarian working as a Senior Protection Assistant with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) was kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents suspected to be from the ISWAP wing along the dangerous Maiduguri- Damaturu highway on 2nd January 2021 when the insurgents attacked some convoy of commuters near Matari village between Mainok and Jakana road.
He was last seen On 18th March 2021, in a video clip released by the insurgents crying for help to be freed from Boko Haram insurgent’s captivity.
He also use the footage to appeal to UNHCR and the government to come to his aid and free him. In the short footage where he spoke in Hausa, he said he was abducted by Khilafa’s soldiers which is probably the ISWAP faction of the Boko Haram insurgents.
The Maiduguri- Damaturu highway has become a death trap in recent times with frequent attacks and kidnappings of motorists by the Boko Haram insurgents, strategically taking advantage of the bad roads in the 30 kilometre long distances journey between Mainok and Jakana roads. The dilapidated state of the road has made it impossible for motorists to speed up and save their lives on the advent of attacks, and those who speed above limit end up in auto crashes which has claimed the lives of many innocent people.
The Senior Protection Assistant of UNHCR has regained his freedom through the efforts of Amb. Ummu Kalthum Muhammad, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Kalthum Foundation for Peace. She has been actively involved in peace advocacy and reconciliation at various times including the facilitation of the release of A member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Halima Umar around January 2019 and EYN Pastor Bulus Yikura.
Amb. Ummu Kalthum Muhammad disclosed this to OurNigeria News Magazine in an exclusive interview in Maiduguri. She said that the foundation has been working behind the scenes with government security agencies to get Alooma and other hostages released.
