Abubakar Shekau, leader of Boko Haram has resurfaced in a new video, vowing to fight Nigeria and the world.
Speaking in Hausa and Arabic, Shekau said he had no intention of waging
war against Muslims, and threatened to carry out the “mother of all
attacks” on Abuja, capital of Nigeria.
The threat is coming on the heels of claims by the Federal Government that the militant group has been wiped out.
While he expressed loyalty to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of Boko Haram
affiliate, ISIS, Shakau said he would never recognise Abu Musab
Al-Barnawi, as leader of Boko Haram.
The group also threatened attack on army chief Yusuf Buratai, and spokesperson Usman.
Al-Barnawi’s appointment was made known by the latest issue of an
ISIS-owned magazine, but Shekau vehemently rejected the development,
saying ISIS deceived him because he opposed their principles.
In the 24-minute video, Shekau said: “We have no desire to fight our Muslim brethren,” an apparent reference to IS.
He said the Al-Barnawi group was only seeking to “create division” among Boko Haram.
“I, Abubakar Ash-Shakawy (Shekau), the leader of Jama’atu Ahlissunnah
Lidda’awati Wal Jihad, made it a duty for myself to fight Nigeria and
the whole world. We have no desire to fight our Muslim brethren. I’m
alive by the permission of Allah.
“Let the government of Nigeria and West Africa not celebrate or gloat
over the division between us and our brothers….We will shock them with
attacks never seen before, in no-distant time.
“They (the Abu Musab group) do nothing but to create division among our people without an iota of contribution to the jihad.
“This is time to fight; it is the time of jihad. We are not killing
fellow Muslims. We are not calling Muslims non-believers. We fight and
kill those who God has ordered to be fought, those we call non-believers
are people so called by God.”
In the new video, the militant leader condemned Western countries
including the United States, France, Germany and “the tyrants of the
United Nonsense (UN).”
Also, he ridiculed suggestions that he was dead, and looked more
composed and energetic than in previous appearances. “I’m alive by the
permission of Allah,” he said in his speech in Arabic and Hausa, adding
that he would only die when his time came.
