The Nigerian man who was executed by a child militant in a video released by a Boko Haram offshoot group aligned with the Islamic State days ago has been identified as a 22-year-old Christian college student, Christianpost reported.

According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide, Ropvil Daciya Dalep from Jing village in Pankshin Local Government Area (LGA), Plateau state, studied biology at the University of Maiduguri. He was abducted on 9 January on the outskirts of the Borno State capital along with 20 year-old zoology student Lilian Daniel Gyang, also from Plateau State. Both were returning to university following the Christmas holiday. A third person who was abducted with them was later released.

The video of Dalep’s execution shows the kneeling victim being shot in the head by the masked child who speaks in both Arabic and Hausa.  

In the video released by the Islamic State-affiliated Amaq News Agency, the child reportedly claims that Dalep’s killing was revenge for the “bloodshed” committed by Christians. 

“In particular, this is one among the Christians from Plateau State,” the child is reported to have said in the video. “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…”

Nigeria is 12th on Open Doors’ World Watch List, and was placed for the first time on the US State Department’s Special Watch List for countries in which religious persecution is of big concern.

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Photo: siteintelgroup.com