Islamic terror group, Boko Haram, is demanding a ransom of N200 million from the family of Pastor Paul Musa before his release.
International Christian Concern (ICC) reports that the group made the demand via a video it shared recently on social media
Musa, 59, was abducted alongside his wife, Ruth, 50, in March 2023 from their home in Borno State, North East Nigeria.
In the video, the clergyman is seen pleading for his life as an armed, masked terrorist stands behind him.
Musa is wearing orange clothing, reminiscent of the orange jumpsuits worn by the 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians that the Islamic State beheaded on a beach in Libya in 2015.
The group threatened to kill the pastor if the money, which is equivalent to $130,000, is not paid.
Boko Haram and its breakaway faction, Islamic State West African Province(ISWAP), Fulani militants and unidentified gunmen have killed about 45,000 Christians since 2009, ICC said.
Earlier in June, ISWAP terrorists executed three Christians in Borno State.
In 2020, the Boko Haram terrorists executed and beheaded the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State, North East Nigeria.
The terrorists demanded £2 million ransom but the church could only raise N50 million which they rejected.
Christian watchdog, Open Doors, in its report earlier in the year, rated Nigeria 6th among 50 nations of the world where Jesus’ followers are most persecuted.
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) had in May this year, designated Nigeria and 16 other countries of the world as Countries of Particular Concern (CPC).