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Members of the Jama’atul Ahlil Sunna lidawati wal Jihad, otherwise known as Boko Haram, warned that it would, in a few days, embark on massive bombings of political party offices across thecountry to correct the impression that they are agents of politicians, even as they warned ordinary civilians who do not have anything to do with politics to stay away.
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?The sect also stated that President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate President David Mark, Prof. Jerry Gana and ex-Governor Ali Modu Sheriff are on their hit list, and that it would soon attack them.
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The sect has also denied having any relationship with Senator Muhammed Ali Ndume currently in the custody of the State Security Service (SSS)? over alleged involvement in its activities. It added the convicted ex-spokesman, Ali Sanda who indicted the group was not their member but an agent to the SSS.
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The sect, which spoke to journalists in a teleconference in Maiduguri, through the deputy spokesman to Abu Zaid, Abul Qaqa, also distanced itself from the claims of the Borno State PDP chairman, Alhaji Baba Basharu. Basharu was said to have alleged that Boko Haram members were ex-thugs of former Governor Sheriff until they fell out in 2009. But the sect warned the chairman to watch his back henceforth as it claimed the group had beamed its death satellite on him for smearing its name and linking it with a politician whom “the world knows was responsible for the group’s plight in 2009”.
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In the teleconference that lasted about 20 minutes, Abul Qaqa said Boko Baram has nothing to do with politics and its agents, just as it has abhorred Western education and its influence, even as he revealed that the sect will not hesitate to eliminate anyone that chooses to prefer the western culture over Sharia.
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Qaqa said the sect considers all politicians irrespective of backgrounds as the same, stressing that both Sheriff and Senator Ndume are as good as Jonathan,? Mark and others who have long been on their hit list and would be eliminated at the slighted opportunity.
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Confirming the sect’s link to Al-Qaeda, Qaqa, said: “On the claims of the French ambassador that we have a connection with Al-Qaeda, we will not deny that because any person or group of people anywhere in the world who shares our views and mission about Islam and Jihad earns our solidarity, and for that the Al-Qaeda, whether we know them or not, are our brothers and we can say we have a link in that regard. As a matter of fact, we have a link and we shall continue to sustain such relationship. We do get assistance from them on our mission here and we also extend similar gesture when the need arises. The ambassador has not lied in this regard.
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“We also have nothing to do with the late Ambassador Pindar as claimed by Konduga who said he was a financier of our activities. All we know is that he too is a politician and an agent of government. Even before we started our movement, everyone knows how politicians of all parties harbour thugs to perpetrate evil. Moreover, when we commenced our mission, most of them, especially during the elections, hid under the umbrella of our mission to intimidate and maim one another. We all know these and we have been taking care of such issues. We do not know Pindar in that regard; but it is very possible that they do all such evil deeds against one another using our name, and Allah has eventually exposed them.
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“We also want to categorically state here that we have nothing to do with Ali Sheriff, as claimed by the PDP chairman whom we have enlisted on our hit list. If Ali Sheriff is bold enough, let him come to Maiduguri or let him reveal where he is hiding, and then he will see our true colours.
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“Everyone knows that the attack that was meted on us in 2009 was financed by him, and we will be fools to have a relationship with such a person; because Allah has said that we revenge on anyone that attacks us in the measure as we were attacked. So as far as we are concerned, persons like Ali Sheriff, Senator Ndume and Pindar are not in any way different from President Goodluck Jonathan, whom we are targeting to eliminate soon; just the way we are looking for Jonathan, so we have included Senate President David Mark, Prof. Jerry Ghana and others in our hit list. By the grace of Allah, they are dead men any day or time we interfaced with them.
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“As for the media, we will want to say we have nothing against them as long as they don’t distort our messages and do not inject sentiment into their jobs when handling our issue. Let them be objective and fair to all sides. With this we can see ourselves working in harmony.”
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Meanwhile, President Jonathan has said that with intensified efforts by Nigerian security agencies to curb the menace, the Boko Haram activities in Nigeria will soon be history.
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Speaking while declaring open the biennial Honorary International Investors Council Meeting in Paris, yesterday, Jonathan assured members of the council and the international community that the Nigerian government was on top of the security situation in the country.? “Very shortly, the tide of Boko Haram will be stemmed,” the President stated, just as he hinted that several arrests had been made, leading to the wiping out of a cell of the group from Niger State.
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He added that Nigerian security operatives were working round the clock to rid Borno State of the notorious extremist group.
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In addition to ensuring the safety of lives and property all over Nigeria, Jonathan said the federal government was committed to ensuring food security for the country’s growing population, and the transformation of the national economy.
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Earlier, the co-ordinator of the council, Baroness Lynda Chalker welcomed members of the council to the meeting, even as she urged international investors to take maximum advantage of the quality leadership being provided by Jonathan to show more interest in doing business in Nigeria.
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Jonathan had, on arrival Wednesday in Paris, addressed African envoys at a cocktail reception.
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Meanwhile, thousands of supporters of Senator Ali Ndume yesterday trooped to the state NUJ house to protest against his detention by the SSS in Abuja.
The group, which was led by Mr. Ibrahim Makeri, told journalists that information reaching them through the print and electronic media of involvement of Ndume as financier of Boko Haram sect was baseless.