Funeral of Italian hostage

Mourners gathered yesterday for the funeral of the Italian hostage killed in Nigeria during a failed rescue attempt.

Franco Lamolinara, an engineer, was working in Nigeria when he was kidnapped last May along with British colleague Chris McManus. He was also killed during the rescue operation. It is unclear how the men died, but British officials have said there are “indications” their captors killed them.

The rescue, by Nigerian troops and UK Special Boat Service commandos, was apparently brought forward because the kidnappers – believed to be members of a jihadi group associated with al-Qaeda – became aware the net was closing in around them.