Self-appointed leader of Boko Haram, Mohammed Marwana, who is
purportedly in negotiations with the Presidential Committee on Dialogue
and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North, yesterday
declared that his faction carried out the deadly multiple bombings that
killed over 30 people in the Sabon-Gari area of Kano State last week.
Marwana, who claimed to be second-in-command to leader of the radical
Islamist sect – Imam Abubakar Shekau – before he deposed him for
refusing to embrace peace as proposed by the Federal Government, stated
that the attacks were carried out as a warning to clear the air over any
doubts as to whom the authentic leader of the sect is now.
According to an audio message obtained by Saharareporters, Marwana was quoted as saying in Hausa language:
“I personally instructed the attack in Kano to prove to the world
that, I am the real leader of Boko Haram because there have been
retrogressive forces on the issue of dialogue, who kept doubting my
leadership in the sect. I told them ahead that there will be attack, and
it has happened. It is a warning, and we need to say again that we
carried out the attacks in Kano”.
Marwana also debunked speculations that Imam Shekau is dead.
According to him, as at the time he recorded the audio, the deposed sect
leader was alive and that nothing has happened to him except that he
lost leadership of the sect.
His stance is in response to media reports corroborated by military
authorities that Shekau was shot in the arm and thigh for stubbornly
refusing to stop carrying out attacks and negotiate a cease fire deal
with the FG.
“Shekau is alive contrary to speculations, except that he lost
leadership of the sect. I will not tell you where he is, but he is
alive, and we talked with him not up to three hours ago, except if he
died while I am talking,” he was again quoted as saying.
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