No end to insurgency – Shekau

The Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, on Sunday broke his longtime silence to speak on the Borno State governor’s recent call on insurgents to lay down their arms and embrace government’s amnesty programme.

In an 18 minutes audio message, Shekau, who spoke in his native Kanuri language and in Hausa, faulted the governor’s claims that some of the insurgents that were forced to join Boko Haram are tired of fighting.

The Boko Haram leader said none of his members was tired of fighting and that they would continue fighting till their last breathe.

This is the first video by the terror group’s fugitive leader in several months.

Midway into the video, Shekau played an audio clip in which the Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum, was heard addressing a crowd. In the audio, the governor called on Boko Haram members to surrender and embrace government’s amnesty programme through the ‘safe corridor’ programme.

It is not known how Shekau and his group got the audio clip, although there have been rumours that Boko Haram members masquerade as IDPs and are in some of the camps Zulum recently visited.

Zulum, who usually ends his public speeches with a call for Boko Haram to surrender, was also heard quoting a verse of the Holy Quran, which says: “God forgives sins.”

But Shekau, who claims to have memorised the Quran, said the governor misquoted the verses.

“I decided to deliver this message to clarify an issue in order for the public to understand our stand so that they would not be misguided.

“Particularly, I’m speaking on the claims of the governor of Borno State that some of our members were forced to join us against their will and now they are tired of fighting.

“And it was because of that that government has created “operation safe corridor” programme where repentant members of our group can be helped.

“I want to tell the governor that we are not tired yet. We have not even started. It is our wish to die fighting. We are on top of our game and by the grace of God we are going die doing this. We are still here.

“You should know that in Islam, you cannot receive the forgiveness of Allah if you die without accepting Islam.