ACF speaks on killing of aid workers, asks FG to review negotiation strategy

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has advised the federal government to review its negotiation strategy with insurgents.

Reacting to the killing of four Action Against Hunger (AAH) workers by the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP), the forum urged the federal government to intensify its rescue operations to allay the fears of families of those still in captivity.

ISWAP had said the aid workers were killed because there was a breakdown of talks with the federal government.

In a statement by Muhammed Ibrahim, ACF spokesman, described the action of the insurgents as “callous, barbaric and inhuman”, adding that “it is totally against the tenets of Islam and humanity”.

It lamented that assurances by the government that it has been working with other international organisations to save the lives of those kidnapped have not yielded the desired result.

“ACF is shocked and saddened by the news of yet another killing of aid workers, including a woman, by the Boko Haram terrorists yesterday in Borno state,” the statement read.

“It would be recalled that sometimes last year two female aid workers with International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were abducted by the terrorists during an attack on the military base in Rann, Borno state, and were subsequently executed by the terrorists on the grounds that the Federal Government (FG) failed to meet up some of their demands.

“The recent action of the terrorists, to say the least, was callous, barbaric and inhuman and totally against the tenets of Islam and humanity.

“The killing is clear desecration of Islam which preaches sacred inviolability of the individual. The federal government’s assurances that it has been working with some friendly countries and other international organizations to save the lives of the innocent aid workers and other kidnapped female students have not yielded the desired result.

“ACF, therefore, urges the FG to review its negotiation strategy with the terrorists and ensure that all kidnapped persons still in the captivity of the Boko Haram including Leah Sharibu and the Chibok girls are rescued and released to their families.

“ACF urges the FG to intensify its rescue operations in order to assuage the fears of families of those kidnapped and Nigerians of what may happen to those still in captivity. ACF extends its condolences to the families of those who were brutally executed by the terrorists for serving humanity and equally commiserates with the families of those still captivity.”