Boko Haram Executes Prominent Nigerian Pastor
Nigerian forces have increased their presence in the northeastern part of the country recently. (Wikimedia Commons)
Boko Haram militants in Nigeria executed Reverend Lawan Andimi, a pastor in the eastern Nigerian state of Adamawa, on January 21. Andimi was previously declared missing on January 3 and was later found dead in Nigeria’s northeastern Sambisa Forest.
Andimi made headlines when Boko Haram distributed a video of him pleading for Christian leaders and the governor of Adamawa State to secure his release for the requested price of €2 million ($2.2 million). Nigerian journalist Ahmed Salkida reported that the extremist organization beheaded Andimi after the church community was only able to raise €5,000 ($5,500).
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari released a statement on Twitter condemning the murder of Andimi, saying, “This incident has further strengthened our resolve as a Government.”
Andimi was not only a pastor but also a community leader, serving as the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria’s (CAN) Michika chapter in Adamawa State. Boko Haram militants abducted Andimi after conducting a raid on Michika earlier in January. Although Nigerian security forces managed to repel the raid, the militants captured Andimi as they fled.
Andimi’s killing harkens back to a similar incident on January 17 when Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) released a video showing a child executing a Christian leader with a pistol. The killing of Andimi was followed by a Boko Haram attack on the pastor’s hometown in the northeastern Nigerian state of Borno.
Andimi’s murder is indicative of a growing trend of terrorist activity in the Lake Chad Basin, where both Boko Haram and ISWAP are active. Both extremist groups aim to enforce a strict interpretation of Islamic law, in the process compelling local Christian populations to live under Islamic rule. Participating in activities such as highly-publicized kidnappings and common raids on local villages, Boko Haram hopes to capitalize on the lack of Nigerian security forces in the area and establish an Islamic state by filling the security vacuum. The Sambisa Forest area, in particular, where prominent Boko Haram leaders are reported to be hiding, has seen significant extremist activity.
On December 20, 2019, the Department of State announced that for the first time, Nigeria would be placed on a list of countries that have engaged in or otherwise tolerated violations for religious freedom. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the State Department’s decision indicates a difficult road ahead for Nigeria in attempting to combat religious persecution in the Lake Chad Basin.