Faye Mooney: British woman killed after gunmen storm holiday resort in Nigeria

‘We are utterly heartbroken,’ aid worker’s colleagues say

Mooney had been working for Mercy Corps (Faye Mooney/Twitter)

A British aid worker has been killed at a resort in Nigeria.

Faye Mooney was working in the country for Mercy Corps, a non-governmental organisation.

She had travelled to the northern state of Kaduna from Lagos as a tourist and had attended a party before the outbreak of violence late on Friday.

“Some suspected kidnappers armed with dangerous weapons gained entry into a recreational resort ... shooting sporadically and in the process shot dead two persons, including an expatriate lady, and took away three others,” a spokesperson for Kaduna state police said.

A Nigerian man was also killed at the Kajuru Castle resort, a spokesperson for the British High Commission said.

Mercy Corps paid tribute to Ms Mooney in a statement.

“We are utterly heartbroken,” a spokesperson for the aid organisation said.

“A graduate of University College London and the London School of Economics who had taught in Iraq and worked in Kosovo to combat human trafficking, Faye was deeply committed to fostering cross-cultural collaboration and was an inspiration to us all.

“We extend our deepest sympathy to those who have been affected by this senseless tragedy, including her family, friends and all of our team members in Nigeria who knew her and loved her.”

Kidnappings occur frequently in Nigeria, where locals and tourists alike are targeted for ransom.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the latest incident and the kidnappers have yet to be identified, police said.

The British High Commission said it would not speculate on the motive or nature of the attack.

“We are engaging with the Nigerian authorities, and we understand an investigation is under way,” a spokesperson said.

Ms Mooney’s next of kin has been notified about her death.

Police officers have not named the Nigerian man who was killed.

Additional reporting by agencies