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.”
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