₦airaland Forum

Dipwater:
Ther is somethng I don't really appreciate here why is dat evri topic wuld be turned into atribal argument one party wuld want to ruin the other mans tribe it has noting to do with tribe

Onyocha:
it is very sad indeed to hear this news.

i hold the company they were working for responsible and the government of britain.

they could have paid a ransom to save the innocent men.and really we have heard nothing about this kidnapping since last year.

also,i condemn the british leading a military rescue operation in Nigeria.under no circumstance is that welcome.i want to blame Jonathan for not refusing such breach of nigeria sovereignty by the british.this operation can now be seen as a failure and triumph for the kidnappers.it will only embolden them.the british over-confidence and Jonathan's approval have cost the lives of two innocent men working for their daily bread.

Two hostages - a Briton and an Italian - have been killed by terrorists in northern Nigeria in an attempted rescue operation.

The effort to free Chris McManus, from northwest England, and his colleague Franco Lamolinara was launched by British special forces and the Nigerian army.

Sky sources say there were no fatalities on the British and Nigerian forces' side but there were several fatalities among the hostage-takers.

Prime Minister David Cameron said the pair appeared to have died at the hands of their captors, either before or during the course of the rescue bid.

Sky sources say it is believed there was a fight and during the assault the UK and Nigerian forces could not get to Mr McManus and Mr Lamolinara in time.

"It strongly appears that the hostage-takers shot the hostages," the sources said.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan said the pair's "killers" have been arrested and identified as members of the radical Islamist group Boko Haram .


The rescue bid was launched after the UK received credible information about their whereabouts and that their lives were under increasing threat.

Speaking in Downing Street, Mr Cameron said Mr McManus and Mr Lamolinara were "taken hostage by terrorists" in northern Nigeria in May last year.

"Since then, we have been working closely with the Nigerian authorities to try to find Chris and Franco, and to secure their release," he said.

"The terrorists holding the two hostages made very clear threats to take their lives, including in a video that was posted on the internet.

"After months of not knowing where they were being held, we received credible information about their location. A window of opportunity arose to secure their release.

"We also had reason to believe that their lives were under imminent and growing danger.

"Preparations were made to mount an operation to attempt to rescue Chris and Franco.

"Together with the Nigerian government, today I authorised it to go ahead, with UK support.


"It is with great regret that I have to say that both Chris and Franco have lost their lives.

"We are still awaiting confirmation of the details, but the early indications are clear that both men were murdered by their captors, before they could be rescued."

He added: "Our immediate thoughts must be with Chris and Franco's families, and we offer them our sincerest condolences."

Mr McManus and Mr Lamolinara - contract workers for the Italian construction firm B Stabilini - were seized by gunmen who stormed the apartment they shared in Birnin-Kebbi.

A Nigerian and a German, who were also in the building, managed to escape but suffered injuries after being hit by bullets.

In August last year, a video of Mr McManus and Mr Lamolinara was released by the kidnappers. It showed the pair blindfolded and kneeling in front of their captors who were armed with rifles and a machete.

In a statement, Mr McManus' family said they were "devastated by the news of Chris' death".

"During this ordeal we have relied heavily on the support of our family and friends which has never waned and has enabled us to get through the most difficult of times," they said.


"We are also aware of the many people who were working to try and have Chris returned to our family, and his girlfriend. We would like to thank all of them for their efforts.

"We knew Chris was in an extremely dangerous situation. However we knew that everything that could be done was being done."

Boko Haram, which is suspected to be responsible for the killings, began as a largely peaceful group and initially claimed to be fighting for the creation of an Islamic state in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north.

But since it formed in 2004 its demands have varied and the sect has been blamed for an increasing number of attacks, which human rights groups say have claimed around 1,000 lives.

Sky's defence and security editor Sam Kiley said: "It is likely that the hostage-takers were not amateurs and were likely to be battle-hardened."

There have been a number of foreigners kidnapped while working in Nigeria in recent years.

In September 2008, two Britons were held by the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta.

A Scottish oil worker was abducted and his guard killed in April 2009, in the Rivers State capital Port Harcourt.

Three Britons and a Colombian were kidnapped in January 2010 and in November of the same year, four men from the US, Canada and France were taken 7.5 miles offshore on the Okoro field.

justwise:
You don't have a point, you are far too silly to be taken seriously.

justwise:
Yes i don't regard boko haram as Nigerians, i was referring to them and Sun-of god who made that comment, i don't expect you to understand that though cos you are just useless.