Boko Haram leader, Shekau resurfaces in new video…claims responsibility for Benisheik massacre

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
hang his head in shame, and President
Francois Hollande should hang his head
in shame, Queen Elizabeth (of England)
should hang her 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.”