Tensions increase between UN and Nigerian military

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The United Nations has said the Nigerian military has carried out an unauthorized raid on one of its compounds in Maiduguri -- an area in northeast Nigeria well-known as a hot spot for Boko Haram militants.

Samantha Newport, a spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said the UN was "extremely concerned" by the raid, noting it "could be detrimental" to the delivery of lifesaving aid to "vulnerable" people in northeast Nigeria.

The UN's Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, is said to be communicating with the government.

The Nigerian government has said it carried out the raid after it received information that a number of high-profile Boko Haram insurgents had infiltrated the area.

Meanwhile at the UN headquarters, the Secretary-General's spokesman confirmed the raid had happened and said the UN had "protested to the authorities" in Nigeria. Speaking at the daily briefing in New York on Friday, Stephane Dujarric said: "We understand from the government this is a mistake."

He repeated twice that it was "a raid that should not have happened," noting that the troops were inside the compound for about three hours.

There is concern this military search could increase the already tense relationship between the UN and the nation's military - which are both trying to tackle the Boko Haram insurgency and its humanitarian consequences.