Boko Haram Leader Shekau Claims Responsibility for Schoolgirls' Abduction
The Boko Haram sect of insurgents have claimed responsibility for abducting hundreds of young females aged 16-18 years.
In a 57-minutes-long video obtained by Agence France-Presse, the leader of the group Abubakar Shekau appears dressed in a military uniform and speaks while standing in front of an armoured personnel carrier and two pickup lorries mounted with submachine guns. Six armed men stand beside him with their faces covered.
Shekau addresses the viewers in the Hausa, Arabic and English languages.
For the first 14 minutes, he criticizes democracy, Western education, efforts for Muslims and Christians to live in peace and condemns Islam non-believers. Further, he says he could marry a 9 or a 12-year-old girl.
"I abducted a girl at a Western education school, and you are disturbed," he says. "I said, Western education should end. Girls, you should go and get married."
He says, "I abducted your girls" and vows to "sell them in the market, by Allah". According to Sahara Reporters, Shekau promised more similar episodes in the nearest future. He also claimed they are holding the girls "as slaves".
He referred to the 276 female students abducted from their school in Chibok town, Borno State. About 200 of the girls still remain in the sect's captivity since their abduction on April 14.
The development and many confusions that traced it have led to a series of mass protests throughout Nigeria and a growing scrutiny and concern from the international society.
Addressing the abduction in Presidential media chat on Sunday, President Goodluck Jonathan vowed to put all efforts to rescuing the girls. He, however, disclosed that the military had not been able to locate the girls' whereabout. He has approached the United States, France, Britain, China and other countries asking for assistance on security issues.
Earlier in April, Shekau had released a video where he claimed responsibility for one more tragedy that happened on April 14 - bomb explosion in Nyanya, Abuja's suburb. He described the blast that left about 80 people dead and hundreds injured as a "tiny incident" and threatened more attacks.
In a similar development, Mrs. Naomi Mutah Nyadar, the leader of the #BringOurGirlsBack movement, was arrested this morning apparently following the orders of the First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan.
What Shekau said in the video
"I am going to marry out any woman who is 12 years old, and if she is younger, I will marry her out at the age of nine, just like how my mother, Aisha, the daughter of Abubakar, was married out to Prophet Mohammad at the age of nine.
"You are all in danger, I mean all of you.
"I am the one who captured all those girls and will sell all of them. I have a market where I sell human beings because it is Allah that says I should sell human beings. Yes, I will sell women, because I sell women.
"I captured and abducted girls in a Western school, and it became a worrying issue for all of you. You have forgotten that I have said that it is not only girls' education I am against. I am against everyone who attends a Western school. Girls should go and marry.
"Slavery is allowed in my religion, and I shall capture people and make them slaves.
"Don't think we are done yet because we are not. We are on our way to Abuja and we shall also visit the South, not to look for Jonathan but to destroy the nation's refineries.
"Talking about human rights and democracy. Nonsense. People that are doing same-sex marriage and saying they are leaders.
"I will imprison Jonathan's daughter. Anyone who turns to Islam will be saved. For me, anyone that embraces Islam is my own. Stupid Jonathan, you will be surprised. Until the land is soaked with blood.
"You said you want to capture me. Surely, you will one day. But I will also haunt for Jonathan, and if I catch him, I will kill him.
"Do not think I am indispensable, I am not. Anybody can kill me. Even the smallest of creature can kill me. But when you kill me, somebody more deadly will rise, and you will cry that you will rather have me than him, just as you now say that Yusuf Mohamed is more lenient that me.
"I am a leader, I don't have any president; I am my president.
"Late Aminu Kano, Late Tafawa Balewa are not Muslims, they are all pagans. I am going to kill all the Imams and other Islamic clerics in Nigeria because they are not Muslims since they follow democracy and constitution. Senator Ali Modu Sheriff is a pagan, Senator Ali Ndume is also a pagan and they are all inclusive. I am against democracy and you should better get prepared.
"It is Allah that instructed us, until we soak the ground of Nigeria with Christian blood, and so-called Muslims contradicting Islam. [We will kill and wonder] what to do with smelling of their corpses, smelling of Obama, Bush and Jonathan. Then we will open prison and imprison the rest. Infidels have no value.
"This is a war against Christians and democracy and their constitution. Allah says we should finish them when we get them.
"In fact, you are supposed to wash and re-wash a plate Christian eats food from before you eat as Muslims. Are Christians the people we should play with? They killed us in Shendam, Zangon Katab and all the places. It is either you are with us or you are with them, and when we see you, we will harvest your neck with knife."
Source: Legit.ng
