A humanitarian organisation, Action Against Hunger, has demanded the release of its staff member, two drivers and three health workers held hostage by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) group.
ISWAP sprang out of Boko Haram after swearing allegiance in 2016 to IS leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The aid workers had appeared in a video on Wednesday appealing to the Nigerian government and the organisation to come to their aide.
The video showed the female staff member, dressed in a bright blue hijab, sitting on the floor and addressing the camera in English, her five male colleagues behind her.
The workers were kidnapped last week after an attack on their convoy which was heading to Damasak in Borno State.
One of the organisation’s drivers was killed in the attack.
The Paris-based charity group on Thursday demanded the release of their aid workers.
The group said that it “demands the liberation of its staff member and her colleagues”.
“These are humanitarian workers who chose to devote their lives to helping the most vulnerable communities in Nigeria and they are only motivated by the values of solidarity, humanity and neutrality,” it added.
The footage of the abductees, authenticated by AFP on Thursday, was released through the same channel as previous videos from the IS-affiliated jihadists.
The hostages are believed to be held in an ISWAP enclave on the shores of Lake Chad.
