The Nigerian federal government has said it is doing everything possible to ensure that the eight foreign hostages held by the militant group in the Northern part of the country are released without any harm.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Olugbenga Ashiru disclosed this on Saturday when he met with his French counterpart, Laurent Fabius at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The Nigerian minister said the attempt will not include ransom payment as it is against the government policies.

Ashiru told his guest that Nigeria would have been a prime target of regional terrorists if not for the intervention of France and ECOWAS troop in Mali crisis.

"We will do everything possible to ensure that we get the hostages released as part of our own policy we don't pay ransom to terrorists but we will do everything possible to ensure that those terrorists released their captives without any harm done to them," he added.

Ashiru told reporters that his meeting with the visiting French minister afforded both countries the opportunities to review relations between them.