The federal government has expressed shock and deep pains over the killing of another staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Ms Hauwa Liman by the Boko Haram insurgents.
In a statement issued in London yesterday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, described yesterday’s killing of Ms Liman as “dastardly, inhuman and ungodly”, saying nothing can justify the shedding of the blood of innocent people.
The minister commiserated with the family of the aid worker, and said the federal government did all within its powers to save her life.
Ms Liman was kidnapped alongside others in March in Rann, Borno state, when the insurgents attacked a camp for displaced persons.
One of the kidnapped aid workers, Saifura Khorsa, had been killed in September.
Reacting to the murder of Ms Liman, the Nigerian government said it is shocked and saddened at yesterday’s killing.
The government said the aid worker was killed despite the actions taken by the government and the widespread appeal to save the young woman.
After the September murder of Ms Khorsa, the Boko Haram Legal practitioners welcoming Lagos state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode (left), during a special service to mark the opening of the Lagos state Judiciary 2018/2018 Legal Year, in Lagos yesterday Photo: Supo Olasunde/JAU/NAN The Lagos State Judiciary delivered a total of 23,900 judgments within the last one year, according to the state Chief Judge, Justice Opeyemi Oke.
The judge made this known at the 2018/2019 Legal Year service held at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos, on Monday.
“The total number of judgments delivered by the Lagos state judiciary from October 2017 to September 2018 is 23,900.
The High Courts delivered 3,984 rulings and 2,876 judgments.
The Magistrates’ Courts delivered 16,862 judgments while the Small Claims Courts delivered 178 judgments,” the chief judge said.
Oke said two new divisions of the High Court – the Economic/Financial Crimes Division and the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Division, were created during the period under review.
The chief judge said: “I embarked on a series of prison decongestion visits to Badagry Prisons on November 9, 2017, Kirikiri Prisons on February 20, Ikoyi Prison on February 21.
Sentencing Guidelines Practice Directions were signed on March 27 and there is ongoing digitalization of the Private Registries in the Lagos state judiciary.
“There has been the facilitation of the amendment of the High Court of Lagos Law which increased the number of judges for Lagos to 120.
Also the Backlog Elimination Programme (BEP) aimed at getting rid of old cases speedily and through mediation has been created.” “The increased workload and number of cases in our courts necessitated the appointment of more judges and magistrates as well as the construction of more courthouses and the renovation of existing courts to befit our judiciary.’ released a video threatening to kill Ms Liman and Leah Sharibu, one of the schoolgirls abducted at Government Secondary School, Dapchi in Yobe State last year.
‘‘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,” the minister said.
He thanked all the friendly governments that have 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.
The Boko Haram insurgency has caused about 100,000 deaths since 2009, according to the Borno state government.
Despite the efforts of security forces, the insurgents still carry out attacks on civilian and military targets in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.