KANO (AFP) – Boko Haram’s leader said a
northeast town seized by the insurgents earlier this
month has been placed under an Islamic caliphate,
in a video obtained by AFP on Sunday.
“Thanks be to Allah who gave victory to our
brethren in (the town of) Gwoza and made it part of
the Islamic caliphate,” Abubakar Shekau said in the
52-minute video.
In a July video, Shekau voiced support for the
leader of the Islamic State (IS) militants Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi, who in late June declared himself
“the caliph” and “leader of Muslims everywhere”.
But there was no indication from Shekau in the
latest video that he was associating himself with
Baghdadi, whose Sunni Muslim fighters have taken
over parts of Iraq and Syria.
As such, it was not clear if Shekau was declaring
himself to be a part of Baghdadi’s call or if he was
referring to a separate Nigerian caliphate.
In the 19th century, a Sokoto caliphate was
proclaimed across most of modern-day northern
Nigeria and was considered separate from other
Islamic kingdoms, such as the Ottoman Empire.
Shekau — who has been designated a global
terrorist by the United States and sanctioned by
the UN Security Council — is shown in the video
wearing military fatigues, with a Kalashnikov rifle
strapped to his body.
He alternates between Arabic and the Hausa
language that is dominant in the region.
He is pictured standing in front of three SUVs and
flanked by four fighters, who are masked and
armed. It is not clear when or where the video was
filmed.
- ‘We will not leave’ -
There was no indication that Shekau was actually
in Gwoza for the filming and his whereabouts
remain unknown but another unidentified fighter
who speaks later in the video vowed that Boko
Haram would keep control of the area.
“By the grace of Allah we will not leave the town.
We have come to stay,” said the militant wearing a
green shirt and a white cap.
The United Nations humanitarian office (OCHA)
earlier this month confirmed reports that Gwoza
was under rebel control.
Boko Haram is also believed to be in control of
other areas near Gwoza in southern Borno, as well
as large swathes of territory in northern Borno and
at least one town in neighbouring Yobe state.
Mapping the precise areas which have fallen into
Islamist hands is nearly impossible.
There are few humanitarian workers on the ground
in the northeast, travel is dangerous and the
region, which has been under a state of emergency
since May of last year, has poor mobile phone
coverage.
Experts have described Boko Haram’s gains in
recent weeks as unprecedented, saying the group
was closer than ever to achieving its goal of
carving out a strict Islamic state across northern
Nigeria.
But many analysts believe the military still has the
capacity to reverse the insurgents’ advance.
A major offensive launched when emergency rule
was declared in May last year appeared to put the
militants on the defensive, flushing them out of
their strongholds.
But critics say top brass failed to sustain the
pressure and allowed the Islamists to retake some
of the areas they had abandoned.
A lack of adequate weapons for troops sent to fight
the well-armed rebels has hampered the counter-
insurgency and some soldiers this week refused to
deploy to Gwoza without better gear in an apparent
mutiny.
- Gruesome executions -
After Shekau’s 25-minute speech, the video shows
militant fighters on pick-up trucks firing rocket-
propelled grenades and other heavily armed
insurgents firing weapons as they walk calmly
along the road.
The footage appears to show them taking over a
military base, stealing weapons and hundreds of
rounds of ammunition as well as fuel cans.
In one frame, a fighter stands on top of a tank,
waving the Islamists’ black flag.
The end of the video apparently depicts scenes of
grisly executions, similar to those released by IS in
recent weeks. Boko Haram have used similar
tactics before, however.
In one scene, about 20 men in civilian clothing are
shown with their hands tied behind their backs and
lying by the roadside before they are shot at close
range.
A second shows two men, whom Shekau said
disguised themselves as women to escape the
town, beaten to death with shovels. Two others
similarly dressed are shot beside what appears to
be a trench full of bodies.
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Gwoza town seized by Boko Haram ‘part of Islamic caliphate’
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