DailyPost has stumbled on a report by News agency, REUTERS claiming that Islamist group, Ansaru had said on Saturday that it had killed seven foreign hostages it seized on February 7 from a construction company in Northern Nigeria.
The report says the group had issued a statement in Arabic and English on an affiliate of the Sinam al-Islam network, accompanied by screen shots of a video purporting to show the dead hostages. One screenshot showed a man with gun standing above several prone figures lying on the ground. Ansaru, which has kidnapped other foreigners in the past, had blasted into a compound with the aid of explosives and abducted a Briton, an Italian, a Greek and four Lebanese workers, the largest number of foreigners kidnapped in the mostly Muslim north since Islamist militants intensified their campaigns two years ago.
The group’s full name is Jama’atu Ansarul Musilimina Fi Biladis Sudan, which roughly translates as “vanguards for the protection of Muslims in Black Africa”.
In its statement, the group said it had decided to kill the hostages, taken from the compound of a Lebanese construction company in the northern state of Bauchi, because of attempts by Britain and Nigeria to rescue them.
“(We) announced the capture of seven Christians foreigners and warned that should there be any attempt by force to rescue them, will render their lives in danger,” the statement said.
“The Nigeria and British government operation led to the death of all the seven Christians foreigners,” it said.
Ansaru was suspected of being behind the killing of a British and Italian held hostage a year ago in northwest Nigeria and Britain’s parliament has labelled it a terrorist organisation.
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