ISWAP Claims Killing Of 2 ‘Aid Workers’ in Northeastern Nigeria

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has claimed responsibility for the capture and subsequent killing of two individuals it says are aid workers in northeastern Nigeria.

The terror group’s statement, shared through its media channels on Dec. 24, announced that the incident occurred near Zari town in Borno State last Thursday, Dec. 19. HumAngle gathered from the publication that the aid workers were ambushed and summarily executed using automatic weapons.

This is not the first time ISWAP has claimed to abduct or kill aid workers in Borno. In 2020, the group announced that it abducted three people, including a humanitarian worker in the state. Similar incidents were also recorded in 2019 when the group killed four employees of Action Against Hunger in Borno State.

Although the terrorist group hasn’t yet released the details of the attack, it highlights the ongoing security challenges in the Lake Chad region, where ISWAP continues to operate despite intensified counter-terrorism efforts.

ISWAP claims the executed aid workers are members of the Red Cross. However, terror groups operating in the Lake Chad region have been known to wrongly categorise aid workers, state actors, healthcare officials and workers, and even citizens as members of the Red Cross, particularly when announcing executions like these. In October this year, for example, Boko Haram released a shocking video showing the brutal execution of two aid workers it wrongly identified as members of the Red Cross.

Borno State remains at the epicentre of extremist violence in Nigeria, with terrorist groups targeting civilians, aid workers, and security forces alike. The recent incident further raises concerns about the safety and accessibility of humanitarian operations in the region being targeted by the extremists’ violence.