UN Chief wants killers of 5 Aid Workers in Borno to be prosecuted

Guterres reacted to the incident in a statement by his spokesman, Mr Stéphane Dujarric, in New York on Thursday.

“The Secretary-General strongly condemns the killing, on Wednesday, of five civilians, including three aid workers, by an armed group in northern Borno, northeastern Nigeria.

“He expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Nigeria.

“He calls on the Nigerian authorities to spare no effort in identifying and swiftly bringing to justice the perpetrators of these killings,’’ he said.

The UN chief reiterated that attacks against civilians, including aid workers, by a party in an armed conflict, were a violation of international humanitarian law.

He stressed the need for international human rights law and international humanitarian law to be fully respected, including the obligation to protect civilians.

President Muhammadu Buhari has blamed Boko Haram insurgents for the killing, which came a month after the victims were kidnapped by the terrorist group.

The president, in a statement on Wednesday, also condemned the atrocity and assured that the perpetrators would be made to face the law.

He also pledged that the government would continue to do its best to completely wipe out “every remaining vestige’’ of Boko Haram from North East.