UN Secretary General condemns Boko Haram’s execution of aid workers, urges FG to fish out perpetrators

The United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Antonio Gutteres has condemned in strongest terms the recent gruesome murder of some aid workers and civilians by the Boko Haram terrorist group in Nigeria’s troubled Northern region.

Newsclickng.com reports that Boko Haram terrorists on Wednesday released a video showing the assassination of five humanitarian workers who were recently abducted along Monguno area of Borno state.

The insurgents had earlier demanded for about $500,000 dollars ransom before the abducted workers can be released.

Reacting to the sad development, the Secretary General in a statement released Thursday evening by his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric condoled with Nigerian Government and families of the deceased. The statement also urged the government to quickly fish the perpetrators and bring them to justice .

Read full statement below:

The Secretary-General strongly condemns the killing, on 22 July, of five civilians, including three aid workers from ACTED, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and Action Against Hunger (ACF), by an armed group in northern Borno State, northeastern Nigeria.

The Secretary-General expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of Nigeria. He calls on the Nigerian authorities to spare no effort in identifying and swiftly bringing to justice the perpetrators of these killings.

The Secretary-General reiterates that attacks by a party to an armed conflict that are directed against civilians, including those who are aid workers, violate international humanitarian law. International human rights law and international humanitarian law must be fully respected, including the obligation to protect civilians.

Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General
New York, 23 July 2020