News

ISWAP Kills Humanitarian Workers After Failed Negotiations

The Islamic State West Africa (ISWAP) on Wednesday released a video clip showing the execution of five aid workers the terror group abducted in June along Monguno-Maiduguri road in Borno state, northeast Nigeria.

The clip showed five hooded fighters standing behind five blindfolded abductees forced to kneel, with one of the abductors giving reasons for the appalling executions in Hausa language.

On June 30th, Daily Trust reported ISWAP was demanding $500,000 for the release of the humanitarian workers working for the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and the Action Against Hunger, Rich International, International Rescue Committee, and a private security guard, providing security in a humanitarian facility in Monguno town.

The abductees in a two minutes video shared by the Daily Trust appealed to the Federal Government as well as their organisations to intervene and secure their freedom.

HumAngle gathered that the insurgents in the northeast are short of food and money because of the Nigerian government’s determination not to negotiate and make ransom payments to secure the release of victims of kidnappings in the region.

According to a top security source familiar with the situation, the government now has a zero-tolerance to any cash payments to terrorist groups.

“Since most of the families of the victims are poor who cannot afford the financial requirements of the terrorists in such circumstances the result is the kind of horrendous outcome seen today,” said the top security official.

In January, ISWAP freed five aid workers after they were abducted in December 2019, According to the UN, a total of 12 aid workers lost their lives in 2019, more than twice the 2018 total.

The decade-long violence has killed 35,000 people and displaced two million people from their homes.

Summary not available.


Support Our Journalism

There are millions of ordinary people affected by conflict in Africa whose stories are missing in the mainstream media. HumAngle is determined to tell those challenging and under-reported stories, hoping that the people impacted by these conflicts will find the safety and security they deserve.

To ensure that we continue to provide public service coverage, we have a small favour to ask you. We want you to be part of our journalistic endeavour by contributing a token to us.

Your donation will further promote a robust, free, and independent media.

Donate Here

Of course, we want our exclusive stories to reach as many people as possible and would appreciate it if you republish them. We only ask that you properly attribute to HumAngle, generally including the author's name, a link to the publication and a line of acknowledgement. Contact us for enquiries or requests.

Contact Us

Murtala Abdullahi

Abdullahi Murtala is a researcher and reporter. His expertise is in conflict reporting, climate and environmental justice, and charting the security trends in Nigeria and the Lake Chad region. He founded the Goro Initiative and contributes to dialogues, publications and think-tanks that report on climate change and human security. He tweets via @murtalaibin

Related Articles

One Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Check Also
Close
Back to top button

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Translate »