THE Amnesty International says Boko Haram’s brazen disregard for the sanctity of life which resulted into the execution of Hauwa Leman, a midwife and nurse working in the North East on Monday, October 15, 2018 must not go unpunished.
Hauwa was a humanitarian aid worker working with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) when she was abducted along with her colleagues, Saifura Ahmed and Alice Ngaddah. Saifura Ahmed was executed in a similar circumstance in September by the terrorists.
While condemning what it described as yet another horrific execution, the human rights body noted that “Under the international humanitarian law, aid workers must be protected from attack and must not under any circumstance be targeted.”
“Amnesty International is deeply concerned about yet another horrific execution of a health worker by Boko Haram one month after threatening to do so, ” Amnesty International wrote on Twitter Monday evening.
But Amnesty International did not specify who should take responsibility for punishing the terrorists for the execution.
Hauwa , a 24-year-old midwife at a government health care center supported by the ICRC, and Alice Loksha, a nurse working for UNICEF, were abducted along with another aid worker in March, when militants thought to belong to a Boko Haram faction stormed Rann, a Northeastern Nigerian town where there are tens of thousands of refugees.
The faction, the Islamic State West African Province, which is supported by ISIS, has been responsible for high-profile abductions and propaganda victories, further complicating the security crisis from an insurgency entering its 10th year.
There has been a widespread condemnation of the execution of Hauwa by the terrorists since the news broke Monday evening.
The Federal Government said it was shocked and saddened at the killing of another aid worker by Boko Haram despite the actions taken by the government and the widespread appeal to save the young woman.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, in a statement issued in London, 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.
Also, the BringBackOurGirls (BBOG), the advocacy group for the release of abducted Chibok girls and others said it was saddened by the news of Hauwa’s execution.
“It is with a deep sadness that we receive the regrettable news of the death of Hauwa Leman today on the 15th of October, 2018,” said Nifemi Onifade, Spokesperson of BBOG in a statement.
“The news we have received suggests that she was killed, in a similar manner as Saifura was about a month ago, following a threat by the terrorists to do so.”
The BBOG said it was not too late for the Federal Government to ensure the release or rescue of Alice Ngaddah, Leah Sharibu, our 112 #ChibokGirls and others in captivity
“For Alice Ngaddah, Leah Sharibu, our 112 #ChibokGirls and others in captivity, it is not too late,” it said.
It is noted that it would go ahead with a planned protest to the Presidency today (Tuesday) to carry “our increased demand to the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“We ask that members of the public join us tomorrow as we set off from Unity Fountain at 9 am. We also and ask for prayers for Hauwa’s family, her colleagues and others in captivity.”
