Boko Haram Leader In New Video Says Chibok Girls Now Muslim Converts
Featured, Latest Headlines, News, Uncategorized Monday, May 12th, 2014
Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau has released a new video in which he claims that the girls his men abducted from Chibok in Borno State had been converted to Islam.
Shekau in the Video said none of the girls would be released until the government of Nigeria would be ready to exchange them with Boko Haram members being held in different prisons in Nigeria.
More than 300 youngsters were abducted from Chibok Government Girls Secondary School on April 14, although some of them regained freedom, while about 276 are still missing.
In the video, Abubakar Shekau ranted for 17 minutes while he later allowed camera to zoom on what he said were 130 girls, all wearing full-length hijabs and praying in an undisclosed rural location.
One of the girls then appeared to talk directly to the camera.
AFP reports that none of the youngsters appeared to be visibly distressed, although some of them nonetheless appeared to be under duress.
Holding a pad of paper in his hand, Shekau said, “These girls, these girls you occupy yourselves with their affair we have indeed ‘liberated’ them. We have indeed ‘liberated’ them.
“Do you know ‘we have liberated them’? These girls have become Muslims. They are Muslims.”
He continues: “It is now four years or five years that you arrested our brethren and they are still in your prison.
“You are doing many things (to them). And now you are talking about these girls. We will never release them until after you release our brethren.”
However, a special adviser to the country’s president Reuben Abati told Alex Crawford there were lines the government would not cross in the hunt for the girls.
Speaking after it was revealed authorities had made indirect contact with Boko Haram, Dr Abati said: “The government of Nigeria has no intention to pay a ransom or to buy the girls, because the sale of human beings is a crime against humanity.
“The determination of the government is to get the girls and to ensure that the impunity that has brought this about is checked and punished.”
Boko Haram’s leader Abubakar Shekau has threatened to sell the girls “at the market” and some are believed to have already been taken out of the country.
The search for the girls remains centered on the huge Sambisa forest, which is three times the size of Wales.
France said that Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan had agreed to attend a summit in Paris on Saturday to discuss what to do about Boko Haram.
Britain has been invited, as has the EU, the United States and the four countries bordering Nigeria: Benin, Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UU86dbj-lbDks_hZ5gRKL49Q&v=A9sJnldKRg8&feature=player_detailpage
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