Abuja - The Minister of State I for Foreign Affairs, Prof, Viola Onwuliri, has described the killing of three North Korean doctors in Yobe as "terrible and embarrassing to the nation".
Onwuliri said in an interview with newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday that the act is a terrible and an embarrassing one.
"For us in the ministry, we have been doing our best to project the image of this country.
"Mr President has been doing everything possible to give a positive impression of this country to the international community and things like these will definitely dent the image of the country and make our work more difficult.
"It sets us back and then we begin to look for ways to clean up the mess.
"Life is sacred, so it’s wrong, condemnable and unacceptable for people to continue taking lives that God created for a purpose.
"These were people offering services to the nation and those perpetrating such acts discourage others from offering services as well."
The minister urged Nigerians not to allow themselves to be used to perpetrate acts which could dent the image of the country and stall development.
She encouraged the diplomatic community to have faith in the government to deal with the nation’s security challenges.
"We call on such Nigerians to desist from killing because it is really sinful to say the least.
"We will continue talking to Nigerians, the security agents are on top of the situation and the president has the passion for the security of lives and property in the country.
"We will also continue to encourage our diplomats to tell their countries that we are not doing badly as a nation.
"We appeal to our people, young people and those who are perpetrating these acts to stop it because it is not good for the development of our nation.
"We must move ahead and must be well represented in the international community," she stressed.
The three North Korean doctors attached to Potiskum General Hospital were killed in their rented quarters in Potiskum on Sunday.
The Federal Government has, however, promised to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the perpetrators were brought to book.
- NAN