FG Expresses Sadness at the Execution

Meanwhile, the federal government has said it was shocked and saddened at the killing of Leman by Boko Haram despite the actions taken by it to prevent the killing.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, described the killing as dastardly, inhuman and ungodly, saying nothing can justify the shedding of the blood of innocent people.

The minister issued the statement in London, where he was attending a conference on Nigeria’s unity at Chatham House. He also commiserated with the family of the aid worker and said the federal government did all within its powers to save her life.

He said, ”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.”

He thanked all the friendly governments that had continued to work with Nigeria for the safe release of the abducted women, and the clerics across religious lines, who have been pleading for their release.

It would be recalled that the minister last week led a three-man federal government delegation to Maiduguri in Borno State and Dapchi in Yobe State to negotiate the release of the girls.

The other persons in the delegation to the restive North-east included the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, who also supervises the Women Affairs Ministry, Ms. Aisha Abubakar, and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ms. Khadija Ibrahim.