UN chief Ban marks deadly Boko Haram attack in Nigeria

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has commemorated the fourth anniversary of a deadly attack on the global body by Boko Haram Takfiri militants in conflict-hit Nigeria's capital, Abuja.  

"The terrorists attacked the United Nations and destroyed the lives of many colleagues. But we have a mandate to build. To better the lives of people in need," Ban said during a ceremony at United Nations House in Abuja on Monday.

The secretary general vowed to remember the victims and praised "the extraordinary fortitude and determination" of the survivors.

"Our fallen colleagues and partners will be remembered this morning with a moment of silence in many places," said Ban, adding, “But nowhere are the memories of these colleagues more immediate, more vivid and more compelling than here in Abuja. We will remember them forever as truly the best of humanity."

On August 26, 2011, at least two dozen people lost their lives when a bomb-laden car exploded at UN House, the headquarters for around 400 employees. The Boko Haram militants claimed responsibility for the attack. 

According to a UN statement, Ban earlier told a private meeting of state governors in Abuja late on Sunday that the most populous country in Africa was grappling with enormous challenges.

"Across our world, we see insecurity, inequality, growing divides.” Ban said, adding,  "Here in Nigeria, you know the challenges all too well -- including the rise of extremism and the lack of equal opportunity." 

The UN chief arrived in Abuja on Sunday for a two-day visit during which he is due to hold talks with Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, with violent extremism high on the agenda.

His visit coincided with a deadly Boko Haram ambush on Nigeria's army chief convoy in the country’s troubled northeast. At least one soldier and 10 militants were killed as the convoy of Nigeria's Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai came under attack in Faljari village, 45 kilometers east of Borno State capital Maiduguri.

President Buhari, who came to power in late May, replaced the heads of the army, navy, air force and his chief of defense staff in an effort to re-energize the fight against Boko Haram.

The terrorist group has since stepped up its attacks. 

According to an AFP tally, bombings, a wave of raids and attacks have left at least 1,000 people dead in Nigeria alone in less than three months.

The Boko Haram militancy began in 2009, when the terrorist group started an armed rebellion against the government of Nigeria. Amnesty International says 17,000 people have been killed since then.

The violence has spilled over into Nigeria’s neighboring countries. Soldiers from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger have been battling the terrorists in recent months.

Nigeria's neighbors, which have all suffered attacks by Boko Haram, set up a regional force earlier this year to end the conflict.

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