A video believed to have been released by the
wanted leader of the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunnah
Lidda’awati Wal Jihad, also known as Boko
Haram, Abubakar Shekau, surfaced in
Maiduguri on Wednesday.
In it, a man claiming to be Shekau, debunked
earlier claims by the Nigerian military that he
died from gunshot wounds on August 19,
2013.
The then JTF spokesman in Borno State, Lt
Col Sagir Musa, had in a statement said,
“Intelligence report available to the JTF
Operation Restore Order revealed that
Shekau, the most dreaded and wanted
terrorists’ leader may have died.
“He died of gunshots wounds received in an
encounter with the JTF in one of their camps
in Sambisa Forest on June 30 , 2013. Shekau
was mortally wounded in the encounter and
was sneaked into Amitchide-a border
community in Cameroon for treatment from
which he never recovered.”
But in the video, Shekau said the world
“should know that he could not die except by
the will of Allah.”
According to the British Broadcasting
Corporation Hausa Service, the Boko Haram
leader is seen in the video wearing a
camouflage, seated and surrounded by dozens
of hooded lieutenants.
Although no link was provided for readers to
view the video, the BBC Hausa Service quoted
one of its reporters, Aliyu Tanko, as saying the
voice of the man in the video sounded like
that of Shekau.
Tanko also claimed that the video emerged
from a source previously used by the Boko
Haram leader. Previous reports of Shekau’s
death later proved to be unfounded.
Perhaps to prove that the video was recently
recorded, Shekau claimed responsibility for
the September 17, 2013 attack in
Benisheik, Borno State, where about 142
people were either shot dead or slaughtered
An online news portal, Brimtime.com,
however gave more details of what Shekau
said in the latest video.
“Here I am, alive, hale and hearty, “ it
quoted him as saying .
Shekau, according to the portal, said that
President Goodluck Jonathan, United States
President Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth,
French President Francois Hollande and Sagir
should hang their heads in shame for lying to
the world that he had been killed.
The Boko Haram chief said, “ Sagir Musa
should hang his head in shame, President
Jonathan (of Nigeria) should hang his head in
shame, President Obama should bury himself
in shame, and President Francois Hollande
shouldhang his head in shame, Queen
Elizabeth (of England) should hang his head in
shame.
“They said I am dead, but here I am. The
world should know that I am alive and will
only die at the appointed time. Everybody
should be judged according to the dictates of
his conscience.
“What I am doing is written in the Holy
Qur’an and the Hadith and I will not stop. I
challenge all the clerics of the world to
question my deeds. Those underrating my
capacity should have a rethink. I will never
allow democracy to thrive.
“The concept of government of the people by
the people for the people will never be
possible and will never exist. Democracy shall
be replaced only by the government of Allah,
from Allah and for Allah.”
Insisting that the military will never subdue
his group, he added, “Nigerian soldiers are
late. After killing many of them in Monguno
and Benisheik, we have snatched their
armoured carriers and a Hilux van and then
hoisted Islamic flags on them. We now move
freely with them.”
Boko Haram, which claims to be fighting to
create an Islamic state across Nigeria, has
been blamed for many violent attacks which
have killed nearly 2,000 people since 2011.
When one of our correspondents contacted
the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen.
Ibrahim Attahiru, he said, “On the issue of
that man being alive, we are investigating it
and we shall get back to you; we are checking
the veracity of the story.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has
deployed more troops in Borno State
following the increase in terrorist activities.
A security source said on Wednesday that
trucks carrying many troops were sighted
along the Damaturu-Maiduguri Road on their
way to Maiduguri on Tuesday.
The PUNCH exclusively reported on Tuesday
that the military had deployed fighter jets in
Borno , Yobe and Adamawa states.
Nigerian troops are battling Boko Haram
insurgents, Al-Qaeda from Algeria,
Mauritania, Somalia and the Niger Republic.
Investigations on Wednesday revealed that
the deployment of additional troops was due
to the fresh attacks being launched by the
insurgents against villages and Army positions
in the North-East.
A military source said, “The fight is still on
but the Army doesn’t want people to know
what is happening there. Several truck loads
of soldiers have been moved to Borno State
since the deployment of the Air Force fighter
jets on Monday.
“I think, the plan is to conclude this fight
once and for all and they are really serious
about it; it could be because of what
happened at Kasiya forest where the Army lost
some men, arms and ammunition.”
By PUNCH
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