Murder of Hauwa Liman

Hauwa Mohammed Liman was a 24-year-old Nigerian registered nurse, trained midwife, and student of Health Education at the University of Maiduguri. She worked as a humanitarian worker with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), delivering medical services to women, children, and other vulnerable groups affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in northeastern Nigeria.

On March 1, 2018, militants from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a faction of Boko Haram, launched an armed assault on the town of Rann in Borno State. The attack targeted a military base and a camp for internally displaced persons, resulting in civilian and aid-worker casualties. During the assault, Liman was abducted along with two other aid workers, Saifura Hussaini Ahmed Khorsa and Alice Loksha.

Following the abduction, ISWAP issued statements and videos demanding a ransom and threatening to harm the hostages if their demands were not met. The group accused the aid workers of collaborating with "unbelievers" and assisting parties it considered adversaries. Despite appeals for negotiation from local and international organizations, efforts to secure the hostages' release were unsuccessful. In September 2018, ISWAP executed Saifura Khorsa, which was seen as a warning intended to increase pressure on the Nigerian government and humanitarian agencies.

On October 15, 2018, Hauwa Liman was executed by ISWAP. The group stated that her association with the Red Cross and the Nigerian government's alleged failure to meet its demands were reasons for the killing. The fate of the third abductee, Alice Loksha, remained unknown at the time. Liman's execution was widely denounced as a war crime and a violation of international humanitarian law, drawing condemnation from Nigeria and the international humanitarian community.

In the aftermath, the ICRC paid tribute to Liman's life and work, describing her killing as a "despicable act of cruelty" and reaffirming its commitment to aiding conflict-affected communities. Florence Nightingale medals were presented to Liman's parents by the President of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Bolaji Anani, and the ICRC's Head of Delegation, Eloi Fillion, at a ceremony in Maiduguri, Borno State. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari expressed sorrow over her death, condemned ISWAP's actions, and pledged to hold those responsible accountable. The United Nations and several human rights organizations also decried the killing, calling for better protection of aid workers operating in conflict zones.