Officials of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) have revealed how Boko Haram insurgents rejected N50 million ransom offered for the release of abducted CAN Chairman Lawan Andimi before his execution.
The Herald earlier reported that Rev. Lawan Andimi who was abducted on Jan 2, 2020 has been executed by Boko Haram insurgents on Monday, Jan 20, 2020.
Bishop Dami Mamza, Adamawa state CAN chairman, disclosed that negotiations had been ongoing to ensure Lawan was released.
However, the insurgents demanded £200million as ransom but the christian group was only able to raise N50m which the terrorists rejected immediately.
They threatened to kill the cleric on Saturday but they carried out the death threat on Monday, beheading Andimi in the horrific scene painted by Ahmad Salkida, a renowned Journalist known for monitoring the activities of insurgents in the Northeast.
Bishop Mamza said “Negations were still ongoing when they stopped calling. They were offered N50 million but they rejected it”, Mamza said.
“They called his wife last week, informing her that they will be beheading him on Saturday, but somehow, they waited till Monday.
This is not the first time Christians will be the victims of Boko Haram insurgency as 10 Christian captives were beheaded on Christmas day.
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United States government has placed Nigeria on a Special Watch List (SWL) over the continuous violation of religious freedom and rights of citizens
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has also written to the Roman Catholic Pope asking for his intervention over the continued persecution of Christians in Nigeria.