Ropvil Daciya Dalep, an undergraduate of the University of Maiduguri, Borno State, North East Nigeria, has been executed by the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP), Christian Today has reported.
Dalep, 22, who hailed from Pankshin Local Government Area of Plateau State in North Central Nigeria, was shot with a pistol by a child militant, about eight years old.
The execution was shown in a video released by ISWAP, a Boko Haram splinter group.
Dalep was abducted along Maiduguri-Damaturu road on his way to school after the Christmas holiday. He was a biology student.
He was kidnapped alongside two others, one of who is Lilian Daniel Gyang, also from Plateau. While the other abductee has been released, Gyang, who studies Zoology, is still in captivity.
A member of the House of Representatives from Plateau, Solomon Maren, said in a statement that extremists had made it known that they would target Plateau indigenes. He said the insurgents executed two carpenters in 2019.
Dalep’s execution came few days after the Boko Haram terrorists killed and beheaded the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Lawan Andimi.
Andimi, a pastors with Eklissiyar ‘Yan’ uwa A Najeriya (EYN), was abducted early January.
In the video, the child militant is heard as saying Dalep’s execution is revenge for “bloodshed” Christians committed.
The child reportedly says, “In particular, this is one among the Christians from Plateau State.
“We are saying to Christians, we have not forgotten what you have done to our parents and ancestors and we are telling all Christians around the world, we have not forgotten and will not stop.
“We must avenge the bloodshed that has been done like this one.”
Christian Today quoted Christian Solidarity Worldwide as saying that Dalep was shot in the head multiple times by the child who was masked, wearing a black headscarf, holding a pistol and standing behind the deceased who was kneeling down.
Since December, the insurgents have released four execution videos in which they vowed to target Christians and kill them.
According to 2020 World Watch list released on January 15 by Open Door USA, Nigeria ranks 12th among 50 nations where Christians are most persecuted.
Last December, for the first time, Nigeria was placed on the U.S. State Department’s Special List for countries where severe religious freedom violations are tolerated.