MAIDUGURI (AFP) – A purported spokesman for Islamist group, Boko Haram, has issued an ultimatum to Christians in the country’s north and threatened to confront troops after the president declared a state of emergency in hard hit areas.
Abul Qaqa, who has spoken on behalf of the group blamed for scores of attacks in numerous times in the past, said he was giving southerners living in the north a three-day ultimatum to leave.
“We find it pertinent to state that soldiers will only kill innocent Muslims in the local government areas where the state of emergency was declared,” he told journalists in a phone conference late Sunday.
“We would confront them squarely to protect our brothers.”
Speaking in the Hausa language common throughout the north, Qaqa said “we also wish to call on our fellow Muslims to come back to the north because we have evidence that they would be attacked.
“We are also giving a three-day ultimatum to the southerners living in the northern part of Nigeria to move away.”
Boko Haram is believed to include different factions with varying aims, its structure remains unclear and other people have claimed to speak on its behalf.
Nigeria’s 160 million population is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south.
Muslims have been victims of Boko Haram attacks, but a wave of Christmas day bombings particularly targeting churches set off fears of retaliation from Christians.
President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency on Saturday in parts of four states hard hit by violence blamed on Boko Haram.
Abul Qaqa, who has spoken on behalf of the group blamed for scores of attacks in numerous times in the past, said he was giving southerners living in the north a three-day ultimatum to leave.
“We find it pertinent to state that soldiers will only kill innocent Muslims in the local government areas where the state of emergency was declared,” he told journalists in a phone conference late Sunday.
“We would confront them squarely to protect our brothers.”
Speaking in the Hausa language common throughout the north, Qaqa said “we also wish to call on our fellow Muslims to come back to the north because we have evidence that they would be attacked.
“We are also giving a three-day ultimatum to the southerners living in the northern part of Nigeria to move away.”
Boko Haram is believed to include different factions with varying aims, its structure remains unclear and other people have claimed to speak on its behalf.
Nigeria’s 160 million population is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south.
Muslims have been victims of Boko Haram attacks, but a wave of Christmas day bombings particularly targeting churches set off fears of retaliation from Christians.
President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency on Saturday in parts of four states hard hit by violence blamed on Boko Haram.
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