The leadership of Jamaatu ahlis sunnah lil daawati wal jihad, popularly known as Boko Haram, has again, denied engaging in talks with the Nigerian government, contrary to widespread reports that the sect had re- entered into dialogue with the government.
The group made the denial yesterday evening.
The sect not only denied talks with the government, but also described the purported press statement by one Abu Muhammad, who claimed to be the second in Command to the sect’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, as the creation of the media.
The sect said its position on dialogue was made clear in a recent video address by its leader, where Mr. Shekau foreclosed any possibility of dialogue with the government, but which it said many media houses ignored, but were quick to publicise the “purported Meccah meeting”.
The sect recalled that it was because of such misrepresentations by the media that it attacked Thisday Newspaper, adding that as far as it is concerned, “those who fight us with guns and those who use pen are one and the same”.
The sect also said it is aware that many people were using its name to get huge sums of money under the pretext that they would “arrange dialogue with us”.
It called on such fake intermediaries to “fear Allah before they get into the hands of Allah’s army”.