THE Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has released a 31 minute video message on Tuesday claiming that his sect were behind the series of attacks in witnessed in the Northeast in recent times
It would be recalled that there had been series of attacks in the region which led to the death of innocent people during the just concluded festive period .
Indeed, this new video was coming 24 hours after the President Muhammad Buhari has claimed in his new year message that the sect had been beaten and they only carried out sporadic attacks.
Assuring Nigerians that the federal government was ready to end the insurgency which has engulfed the region.
The president had said, ‘Isolated attacks still occur, but even the best-policed countries cannot prevent determined criminals from committing terrible acts of terror,”
He said, “We are in good health and nothing has happened to us. Nigerian troops, police and those creating mischief against us can’t do anything against us, and you will gain nothing,” he said.
The leader of the dreaded Islamic sect who spoke in Hausa continued, “We carried out the attacks in Maiduguri, in Gamboru, in Damboa. We carried out all these attacks.”
He then released the footage of the Christmas Day attack on a military checkpoint in Molai village on the outskirts of the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, which the military said was thwarted by troops after one hour of battle.
The sect were seen in tattered clothes shooting at the military fighters.
It will be recalled that Shekau, took over Boko Haram in 2009 after the death of its founder Muhammad Yusuf. An estimated 20, 000 people were reported to have died since then.
Even though, it was said the sect is now divided into three.