President Muhammadu Buhari and the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Edward Kallon, have condemned the killing of four aid workers by the terrorist group, Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) in Borno.
News of their executive broke on Friday.
In separate statements issued on Saturday, Buhari and Kallon condemned the act as “evil” and “tragic.”
Both expressed sadness over the incident.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Femi Adesina, Buhari however maintained that the defeat of evil by good was inevitable, no matter the victory evildoers seem to win.
He expressed sadness over the incident even as he commiserated with the family and loved ones of the aid workers.
“Evil will always be defeated by good at the end of the day. Whatever seeming victory evil records, eventually rebounds on the evildoer.
”We are resolved to beat evil in this land, and we remain unrelenting till we achieve it,” the President said.
In a separate statement on his behalf by Eve Sabbagh, the Head of Public Information, UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Kallon said the UN agency was saddened by the killing of the aid workers by their captors.
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“I am deeply saddened and outraged by the news of the tragic killing of four aid workers who were held captive by armed groups for almost five months.
“My thoughts go to their families, friends and colleagues who are enduring unspeakable pain and hardship,” Kallon said.
He called for the release of the only female who was among the aid workers, Grace Taku and Alice Loksha, a nurse and a mother, who was abducted during an attack in Rann in March 2018.
“I plead for the immediate release of Grace Taku, the only woman who was in the ACF team, and whose whereabouts remain unknown.
“I also call for the immediate release of Alice Loksha, a nurse and a mother, who was abducted during an attack in Rann in March 2018,” Kallon said.
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, who described the killings as another sad day for the people of Nigeria and the humanitarian community, noted that the aid workers devoted their lives to helping the most vulnerable communities in Borno, in spite of the risks.
He lamented that humanitarian workers have increasingly become the target of violent attacks.
Kallon revealed that seven aid workers were killed this year while 26 others lost their lives in the conflict since 2011.
“Violence against humanitarian actors jeopardizes access to much needed assistance for people affected by the armed conflict.
“I renew the call for all armed actors to respect the principles of humanity, neutrality, independence and impartiality which guide humanitarian assistance, and to ensure the protection of aid workers”.
Recall that the aid workers were abducted in July by ISWAP terrorists in Damasak of Mobbar Local Government Area of Borno.
