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.
Continue reading after the cut...
“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.
Culled - Punch
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