Hauwa Liman

The Nigerian Government has said it is shocked and saddened by the killing of another aid worker by insurgent group Boko Haram on Monday, despite the actions it has taken to preserve the life of the aid worker and the widespread appeal to save the young woman.

Reports on Monday evening indicated that the insurgent group has killed one of the two workers of the International Committee of the Red Cross, ICRC in its custody.

It will be recalled that  the humanitarian organisation had on Sunday raised alarm that Boko Haram had threatened to kill Hauwa Liman within 24 hours.

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

One of those kidnapped alongside her, Saifura Khorsa, was killed by the insurgent group in September.

The insurgent group had 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 after the killing of Ms. Khorsa.

In a statement issued in London on Monday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, described the 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.

He 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.