UN Security Council strongly condemns bomb attacks in Nigeria

The UN Security Council on Saturday strongly condemned the bomb attacks in northern Nigeria, which reportedly left more than 100 people dead, reaffirming that "terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is criminal and unjustifiable." The condemnation was contained in a statement issued here by Jose Filipe Moraes Cabral, Portugal's UN ambassador who holds the rotating Security Council presidency for November. "The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks that occurred in Damaturu and Potiskum, Nigeria, on 4 November 2011, causing numerous deaths and injuries," the statement said. "The members of the Security Council expressed their deep sympathy and condolences to the victims of these heinous crimes and their families, and to the people and government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria," the statement said. Earlier on Saturday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon lashed out at the bomb attacks in northern Nigeria, reiterating his firm conviction "that no objective sought can justify this resort to violence." In northeast Nigeria's Yobe State, officials at the Damaturu General Hospital told Xinhua that more than 100 dead bodies were lying at the morgue as of Saturday noon. State Commissioner of Police Suleiman Lawal told reporters in Damaturu, the state capital, that some bombs exploded at the city's New Housing Estate on Maiduguri Road, reports said. The Anti-Terrorism Squad Office in Damaturu was the first to be attacked. The Federal Secretariat, police buildings, the Immigrations Office and other public structures were also hit and destroyed. "The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of its motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group," the UN Security Council said in the statement. "The members of the Security Council reaffirmed the need to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts," it added.