UPDATED: Nigerian govt reacts as Boko Haram kills another Red Cross worker

The Boko Haram has killed another worker of the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how the ICRC on Sunday raised alarm that the Boko Haram threatened to kill Hauwa Liman within the next 24 hours.

Ms Liman was kidnapped alongside others in March in Rann, Borno State, when the insurgents attacked a camp for displaced persons.

One of the kidnapped aid workers, Saifura Khorsa, had been killed in September.

Reacting to the murder of Ms Liman, the Nigerian government said it is shocked and saddened at the Monday killing.

The government said the aid worker was killed despite the actions taken by the government and the widespread appeal to save the young woman.

After the September murder of Ms Khorsa, the Boko Haram released a video threatening to kill Ms Liman and Leah Sharibu, one of the schoolgirls abducted at Government Secondary School, Dapchi in Yobe State last year.

In a statement issued in London on Monday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, described Monday’s killing as “dastardly, inhuman and ungodly”, saying nothing can justify the shedding of the blood of innocent people.

He commiserated with the family of the aid worker, and said the federal government did all within its powers to save her life.

”It is very unfortunate that it has come to this. Before and after the deadline issued by her abductors, the federal government did everything any responsible government should do to save the aid worker.

”As we have been doing since these young women were abducted, we kept
the line of negotiations open all through. In all the negotiations, we acted in the best interest of the women and the country as a whole.

”We are deeply pained by this killing, just like we were by the recent killing of the first aid worker. However, we will keep the negotiations open and continue to work to free the innocent women who remain in the custody of their abductors,” the minister said.

Mr Mohammed thanked all the friendly governments that have continued to work with Nigeria for the safe release of the abducted women, and the clerics across religious lines who have been pleading for their release.

In a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES Monday evening, ICRC representative in Abuja, Matijevic Mosimann, said the Red Cross would issue a statement on Tuesday.

“We have seen media reports about the possible murder of another worker. But right now, I cannot deny or confirm the report. We will issue a statement on the matter tomorrow.

“If it is true, this will be quite unfortunate,not only for ICRC but for all humanitarian workers all over the world,” Ms Mosimann said.

The Boko Haram insurgency has caused about 100,000 deaths since 2009, according to the Borno State Government.

Despite the efforts of security forces, the insurgents still carry out attacks on civilian and military targets in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.