Despite
being declared a global terrorist and a $7million reward placed on him
by the United States (US), Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau is still
talking tough.
Shekau, in a video yesterday, dared US President Barack Obama, French
President Francois Hollande and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu to come for him, saying: “They are no match for me.”
He spoke amid reports that 44 people were killed on Sunday in a
mosque while praying in Konduga, some 35 kilometres outside Maiduguri,
the Borno State capital, which is the epicentre of the sect’s
activities.
The bodies, according to Associated Press (AP), were counted
yesterday “although the deadly attack by militants took place on Sunday
morning.”
In the video obtained by Agence France Presse (AFP), Shekau, while
claiming responsibility for the recent killings in some parts of the
North, said: “I’m challenging Obama.”
Throwing similar challenges to Hollande and Netanyahu, he said he was
in “good health”, pointing out that there is nothing to fear from the
military operation in some parts of the Northeast.
The military campaign began after the Federal Government declared a
state of emergency in Adamawa Borno and Yobe states on May 14.
“You have not killed Shekau,” he said in the video distributed
through a local intermediary in a similar manner to previous Boko Haram
messages.
Seated on a short stool with a kalashnikov resting on his right
shoulder, Shekau said Boko Haram was “responsible” for several deadly
raids over the past month.
These include attacks on the police and the military in Malam Fatori
and Bama, which sparked clashes in which at least 35 people died,
according to the military.
The video contained what Shekau claimed was a footage of Boko Haram
gunmen opening fire on the military in Bama, using heavy weapons mounted
on flat-bed trucks.
Shekau also referred to fighting in Baga and Gamboru Ngala near the border with Cameroon.
The Boko Haram insurgency is estimated to have claimed more than 3,600 lives since 2009, including killings by security forces.
On May 12, Shekau claimed responsibility for attacks that left scores
dead in Baga and Bama in a 12-minute video which also showed some women
and children held hostage by the terror group.
Shekau, who spoke in Hausa in the video said: “We are the ones that
carried out the Bama attack. We also carried out the attack in Baga”.
In another video after the declaration of emergency in Borno, Yobe
and Adamawa states, the sect claimed to have recorded a few losses while
forcing the military to retreat on many occasions.
“Since we started this ongoing war which they call state of emergency
… in some instances soldiers who faced us turned and ran,” Shekau said.
He claimed that the military threw down their arms in flight, just as
he urged like-minded Islamists in countries, such as Afghanistan,
Pakistan and Iraq to support the sect’s war towards enthroning an
Islamic state in Nigeria.
In January last year, after the Madalla bombing, Shekau in a
15-minute video, said the security agencies could not overcome his
group.
Shekau rejected the government’s amnesty offer, saying the group
could only hold talks with the government in accordance with Islamic
teachings.
Yesterday at the Presidential Villa, President Goodluck Jonathan met
with top security chiefs. Although no statement was issued after the
meeting, it is believed that the activities of Boko Haram topped the
agenda.
At the meeting were National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki,
Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Azubuike Ihejirika, Chief of Naval Staff Vice
Admiral Dele Ezeoba, Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Abubakar and
Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS) Ita Ekpenyong.
Others are Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Anyim
Pius Anyim, Minister of Police Affairs Caleb Olubolade and Minister of
State for Defence Erelu Olusola Obada.
Also yesterday, in Sokoto, the military announced the arrest of a
Boko Haram suspect, Mubarak aka Dan-Hajiya, after a raid on a hideout on
Sunday.
Officers and men of the Brigade raided the hideout of some suspected
terrorists on Sunday night which led to the arrest of Dan-Hajiya.
Spokesman of the Brigade Captain Yahaya Musa told reporters that the operation was jointly conducted with SSS operatives.
According to him, the operation was in continuation of the series of
raids being carried out by the security agencies to rid Sokoto, Kebbi
and Zamfara states of some of the fleeing insurgents from Borno, Adamawa
and Yobe.
He said: “Troops of the brigade have in the past few days intensified
raids on the hideouts of these suspected Boko Haram terrorists.
“We had also made several arrests and investigations are ongoing, so this is the only one we can authoritatively confirm now.
“But I can, however, authoritatively confirm that there were no
deaths recorded either on the side of the insurgents or the military,
SSS.’’
M
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