A group of aid workers from two international organizations and a private security guard has been killed by terrorists in northeast Nigeria.
The International Rescue Committee and Action Against Hunger both suffered losses, and the killings were believed to have been carried out by the Islamic State West Africa Province, a group that has pledged fealty to the Islamic State.
The militants released a video this week seen by the Washington Examiner that showed the five men with red blindfolds kneeling in front of five terrorists wearing balaclavas and dressed in military-style garb. In the video, one of the militants gives a speech before the group executes the men with rifles.
“You that are working for infidel organizations, you are working to deliver their mandate, but they do not care about your plight,” said one of the captors, according to a translation by Reuters. “This is why whenever we abduct you, those organizations do not show any form of concern.”
The five aid workers first disappeared last month and were believed to have been kidnapped in the town of Monguno, where they were traveling from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.
Both aid groups confirmed they had workers who were killed by the militants. The International Rescue Committee released a statement on Wednesday reiterating that aid workers should never be targeted.
“The IRC strongly condemns the senseless execution of our colleague, Luka Filibus, and his fellow humanitarian captives. We are deeply saddened and heartbroken by this news,” the group said. “He dedicated his life to protecting children and to help lessen their trauma in the face of crisis. His colleagues in Nigeria remember him always with a smile on his face.”
“We condemn this barbaric treatment and demand the immediate return of his remains to his family. The killing of aid workers is a violation of international law. Aid workers must never be a target,” IRC added.
Action Against Hunger called the killing an “unjustifiable assassination” in a statement. It said the deaths reflect “the immense difficulty faced by independent and impartial humanitarian actors, and the violence we are exposed to every day to fulfill our mission, as well as to promote the values of humanity and solidarity that are more necessary than ever.”
“Action Against Hunger condemns, in the strongest possible terms, these assassinations. We deeply regret that our calls for their release were not answered,” read the statement. “The capture of humanitarian workers violates International Humanitarian Law and all the rules for the protection of workers, humanitarian organizations, and partners.”
