Olakunle Olafioye
A security expert, Dr. Ona Ekhomu, has condemned the execution of four aid workers by a Boko Haram splinter group, the Islamic State of the West African Province (ISWAP), describing it as “horrendous, barbaric and a wanton act of terror.”
Ekhomu, however, predicted that attacks on aid workers might grow in frequency, saying “we are likely to relive the anguish we are feeling as a result of these senseless murders if the Federal Government does not act aggressively to protect humanitarian workers.”
Reacting to the news of the recent execution of the four Nigerian employees of Action Against Hunger (AAH) who were kidnapped by ISWAP insurgents in Damasak, Borno State on July 25th, 2019, Ekhomu extended condolences to the “families of the lost aid workers, their colleagues and the government of Borno State” and urged the government to do its best to rescue Grace Taku, the only hostage that was spared and condemned to a life of slavery by the insurgents.
Ekhomu, who is the President of the Association of Industrial Security and Safety Operators of Nigeria (AISSON), said that the murder of the four aid workers was to prove to the Federal Government and the French employers of the aid workers that Boko Haram/ISWAP meant business in its ransom demand.
Ekhomu maintained that it was not possible for the government to pay ransom for all persons kidnapped by Boko Haram/ISWAP. “In this wise, aid workers should be adequately protected so that they can continue to safely carry out the life-saving humanitarian work they do,” he added.
The security expert advised the Federal Government to redouble its effort in fighting this 4th generation Boko Haram/ISWAP warfare. He said that in the 4th generation conflict the lines between combatants and civilians were blurred. So, a successful attack by insurgents against soft targets is also considered an attack against hardened military targets.
He advised the government to stay focused and engaged and not take eyes off the ball.