Nigeria’s military on Saturday claimed further gains in its counter-offensive against Boko Haram, but the group’s shadowy leader Abubakar Shekau dismissed the talk of success as “lies”.
Army spokesman Sani Usman said troops destroyed more rebel enclaves and camps in the restive state of Borno, which has been worst hit by the six-year Islamist insurgency.
“The fight against the terrorists in the northeast is gaining successful momentum, with most of the camps falling to the Federal might,” he said in a statement.
A total of 62 people were rescued from around the town of Gwoza, which last year Boko Haram declared the headquarters of its caliphate but which it lost control of in March.
Some 77 men, women and children, most of them “haggard, dejected and obviously malnourished”, also arrived in the town of Bama on Saturday, Usman said.
One man picked up said he had his right hand cut off by militants in their Sambisa Forest stronghold in Borno last year, he said, adding that eight Boko Haram suspects surrendered to troops.
Nigeria’s military has claimed a series of successes against Boko Haram recently and on Friday said it had rescued 90 people and dislodged Boko Haram from two villages near Gwoza.
President Muhammadu Buhari in early August gave his new military commanders three months to defeat Boko Haram, after six years of violence, at least 15,000 dead and more than two million homeless.
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Shekau has not been seen on video since February and until an audio message last month had not spoken since March, when he proclaimed Boko Haram’s allegiance to the so-called Islamic State group.
His absence sparked fresh rumours about whether he was still alive or had been deposed as leader, with other videos this year fronted by an unknown rebel under the name Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Shekau said in a 25-minute recording in Hausa and Arabic via social media: “They (the military) lied that they have confiscated our arms, that we have been chased out of our territories, that we are in disarray.
“We are alive, I am alive, this is my voice, more audible than it was before. This is Shekau.”
He added: “Buhari is a liar and has deceived you. The army spokesman is also lying. He and his footsoldiers always run helter-skelter whenever we come face to face with them…
“Buhari, you once claimed that you will crush us in three months. How can you crush us?”
Shekau directly refers to IS group leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, to whom he says he is “loyal and subservient”.
He also namechecks IS spokesman Abu-Mohammed al-Adnani and sends “greetings to the faithful in Yemen”, where there is also an IS “affiliate”.
There was no indication of where or when the recording was made but it appears to have have been in recent days.
Shekau talks of Buhari’s “deal with Hollande”, referring to the Nigerian president’s three-day visit to Paris earlier this week, which included talks with his French counterpart Francois Hollande.
He also dismissed as untrue Buhari’s comments about “our brethren in prison”.
Buhari this week said the Nigerian authorities were talking to Boko Haram prisoners in their custody and could offer them amnesty if the group hands over more than 200 schoolgirls abducted last year. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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If you know you Shekau alive,why can't you shows yourself through you tube as hitherto? You are big liar cos you are dead
ReplyDeleteCowards killing innocent lives and hitting soft target and you claimed success against the federal might come out and face the war if you are saying the truth
ReplyDeleteThis NE has been bias when it comes to reporting on Boko Haram. Please be factual in your reporting and leavevthis pro ABC syndtome behind.
ReplyDeleteNE biased in reporting, leavevthis pro ABC Syndtome behind ? I know you are not well educated from your expression but if what I think is what you mean then we are loosing it as human beings and the blood of those innocent Nigerians of which Nigerianeye equally wish to protect with their constructive presentation is watching us, we don't hid on the guise of politics to write because we want to write like others, we need to be human and humane in our criticism, PDP has really killed the psych of Nigerians, 16years long enough brainwash, shame!!!
DeleteThis is an example of how the media glorify terrorists. Why does PM help propagate a terrorist's propaganda? What is the objective? To instill fear and dread in people?
ReplyDeleteDisagreed. PM is doing a good job. Media is supposed to be neutral in their report. We the readers should be the final judge. If you are afraid of the report just do not read. It is dangerous to have a false one sided news
DeleteThe media should stop glorifying the terrorists because that in itself is passive support for terrorism.
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