President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the killing of a Christian leader in northern Nigeria.
Reverend Lawan Andimi was abducted by gunmen believed to be Islamist militants in early January.
In a statement, the Nigerian president described the killing of Reverend Andimi as deliberately provocative.
He also revealed that the kidnappers had shown signs they might free the victim, by releasing him to third parties.
It’s unclear who these parties were.
The rights group Amnesty International also condemned the act, calling on authorities to do more to rescue those abducted by Boko Haram.
The killing of Reverend Andimi is the latest attack by Islamist militants in the region targeting Christians.
In December, jihadists aligned to the Islamic State group released a video claiming to show the execution of eleven Christians in northeast Nigeria.
bbc