Reverend Lawan Andimi, the 58-year-old Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for Michika Local Government Area and a pastor with the Church of the Brethren (EYN), was abducted from his home in Michika town, Adamawa State, on 2 January 2020. His captors—the Abubakar Shekau faction of Boko Haram—ransacked the town while wearing military fatigues and forced him into a vehicle. Approximately three days after his abduction, a six‑minute Facebook video surfaced showing Andimi softly but bravely telling his loved ones not to panic. “Be patient. Don’t cry, don’t worry, but thank God for everything,” he said, also appealing to Christian leaders and the Adamawa State governor to rescue him. Despite ongoing negotiations—during which the insurgents reportedly demanded a ransom of €2 million (approximately ₦946 million) and rejected a ₦50 million offer—Andimi was beheaded on the afternoon of Monday, 20 January 2020.
20 Jan 2020 · Michika, Adamawa
Deaths
1
Injured
0
Kidnapped
0
Total casualties
1
Perpetrators
Boko Haram
Response
President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the killing as “cruel, inhuman and deliberately provocative,” vowing that the terrorists “will pay a heavy price for their evil actions”. Former Vice‑President Atiku Abubakar called for a “recalibration of our security architecture”. Amnesty International described the situation as “appalling” and warned that targeting civilians is a crime under international law
Displacement
0
Socioeconomic drivers
This incident fits a long‑standing pattern of Boko Haram abducting prominent Christian and community figures, using hostage videos for propaganda, and executing victims when ransom demands are not met or when victims refuse to renounce their faith.
Trajectory
Targeting a CAN chairman served multiple strategic purposes: undermining Christian leadership structures in Adamawa State, stoking sectarian tensions, and demonstrating Boko Haram’s continued operational relevance. The execution was also reportedly driven by Andimi’s refusal to convert to Islam
Cycle notes
Mirrored earlier insurgent executions including late August 2018 – beheading of CAN Chairman Reverend Faye Pama in Chibok after failed ransom negotiations, 16 October 2018 – beheading of aid worker Hauwa Liman after video plea and unmet deadline, 8 March 2012 – killing of British hostage Chris McManus and Italian hostage Franco Lamolinara during a failed rescue attempt (with video demands preceding), 2014‑2015 Boko Haram mass beheadings of civilians in captured towns (e.g., Baga, Konduga) as terror propaganda, and broader ISIS‑aligned execution campaigns (2014–2020) using professionally staged beheading videos to mimic the production style of Al‑Furqan media, collectively reflecting a recurring pattern in which the Abubakar Shekau faction of Boko Haram employs highly choreographed beheadings of Christian leaders and aid workers as both a punishment for ransom failure and a propaganda tool—targeting specific religious figures to amplify sectarian hatred, filming the victim’s final words of faith to create a counter‑narrative of martyrdom, demanding sums far beyond the capacity of impoverished local churches, and releasing the footage on social media to maximise psychological impact, international headlines, and recruitment among radicalised youth while reinforcing the group’s jihadist credentials against the Nigerian state.
Pattern
Beheading
Related — Targeted Killing
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