THISDAY

Shekau’s Attacks Make Life Difficult for Muslims, Says Boko Haram Faction

- Bayo Akinloye

A faction of Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) under the leadership of Abu Musab al-Barnawi has accused Abubakar Shekau of indiscrimi­nate killing, which has made life difficult for Muslim to celebrate Islamic holidays publicly.

However, the United States Government has declined comment on whether the closure of its Abuja embassy in Nigeria has any connection to a possible attack from Boko Haram or ISWAP.

This was stated in a newly released book by the terrorist group titled, ‘The Islamic State West Africa Province vs. Abu Bakr Shekau: Cutting out the tumour from the Khawarij of Shekau by the allegiance pledge of the people of nobility.’

The faction loyal to ISIS condemned what it called Boko Haram’s unprovoked attacks on Muslims during religious festivitie­s like the Eid-al-Fitr.

Al-Barnawi, one of the sons of the late Boko Haram leader Muhammed Yusuf, said: “Since 2014, Shekau has directed the aperture of his weapons against the Muslims, killing them and taking their offspring captive.

“Since that year, Shekau has been observing gathering places in which monotheist­s are presumed to be present, like stations, Sunni mosques and places of prayer on feast occasions, and then he sends a suicide bomber to blow himself up amid the gathering.

“Since that time, the Muslims have not prayed their feasts in peace without an explosion or pursuit from Shekau while he threatens the Crusaders (professed Christians) with empty threats ‘like the brayer in the enclosure,” the book said.

It added that no explosion “has been heard, nor trampling, nor even a hollow spit at a Crusader while they hold their feasts in their churches in security and safety, and perhaps he has resorted to killing the Muslims while abandoning the Crusaders.”

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