The Jamatul Ahlis Sunnah lid Daawa wal Jihad popularly known as Boko Haram has said the arrest of some top leaders of the sect will not deter it from carrying out attacks.
Someone claiming to be the spokesman of the sect Abul Qaqa disclosed this in a telephone interview with journalists on Monday. He said security operatives thought that the arrest of Abul Dardaa and re-arrest of Kabiru Sokoto will deter them from what he described as Holy war.
He added that the killing of their leader, late Mohammed Yusuf and some of their sect members did not in any way stop them from what they are doing, and as such, the arrest of Abu Dardaa and re-arrest of Kabiru Sokoto was just a will of God and instead of been demoralised, they will wax stronger in doing what he described as the “work of God”.
The spokesman said they made tremendous success, especially in their operation on Sunday night in Maiduguri. According to him, they killed many soldiers in Budum Maiduguri and Baga shores of the Lake Chad and were also successful in Kaduna.
“People are claiming that there is faction and ethnicity among our members. We are all united and working for the course of Allah, we are even waxing stronger by the day. We are ready to face the whole world and not only the Nigerian military,” Abul Qaqa said.
The group threatened to attack telecommunication companies and the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) for collaborating with security agencies in exposing their members.
All efforts to get the Joint Task Force spokesman Lt. Col. Hassan Mohammed for his comments on last Sunday’s Maiduguri and Baga attacks proved abortive as he kept on telling newsmen to wait, as they were yet to compile their reports.
Meanwhile, at about 3.30pm on Monday, a car (Honda CRV) bomb, and an improvised explosive device exploded at Konnan-Yobe and beside Customs barrack at Gamboru in Maiduguri.
According to a press release, four members of the Boko Haram sect died in the car bomb while two members of the JTF sustained injuries.
The statement read in part: “The JTF wishes to remind members of public of the dangers of allowing their premise to be use by the members of the sect as experienced this afternoon.”
Similarly, some group of hoodlums claiming to be members of the Boko Haram members sent SMS messages to respected persons in the society, asking for money or risk being killed. They were arrested yesterday while trying to collect the money. The suspects are being held with the JTF for further investigation.