The death toll in the bombing of the UN house in the Nigerian capital, Abuja, 26 Aug. has risen to 24, following the death of another UN staffer who was critically injured in the suicide attack, UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Daouda Toure, said in a statement in Abuja Wednesday. The death of Mr. Sunday Nwachukwu, an employee of the UNDP who was one of the 12 critically-injured UN staffers evacuated to South Africa by air ambulance, brings to 12 the total number of UN staff members who died in the attack.
The statement, which noted that Mr. Nwachukwu passed away earlier this month, quoted the UN Resident Coordinator as describing Mr. Nwachukwu as “a hard-working colleague and a friendly brother.”
“The devastating attack has taken the lives of our colleagues and partners and maimed many people all of whom were in the building in the pursuit of service to others,” Toure said.
“Their sacrifice will not be in vain; we will strive to pursue our work, the work for the people of Nigeria as prescribed in the UN Charter, which says ‘we the people’,” he added.
Mr. Toure said UN agencies in Nigeria would continue with their mission to improve the lives of poor people, conquer hunger, disease and illiteracy, and encourage respect for each other’s rights and freedoms, as well as focusing on job creation, poverty alleviation, democratic governance, and reproductive and maternal health for all.
Overall, 81 people were wounded in the bombing, for which the Islamic militant group Boko Haram has claimed responsibility.