Boko Haram a militant group operating in Northern Nigeria whose activities led to the killings of over seven hundred Nigerians recently has issued a very frightening statement that they have declared jihad in the whole of Nigeria “which no force on earth will stop” and they shall carry out bombings in cities across Northern Nigeria and make the country ungovernable.
Mallam Sanni Umaru acting leader of Boko Haram wrote and singed in a letter which was made available to the Nigerian Vanguard Newspaper dated August 09,2009 denies that Boko Haram means ‘Western Education is a sin’, Umaru said:” Boko Haram actually means ‘Western Civilisation’ is forbidden.
The difference is that while the first gives the impression that we are opposed to formal education coming from the West, that is Europe, which is not true, the second affirms our believe in the supremacy of Islamic culture (not Education), for culture is broader, it includes education but not determined by Western Education.”
He continued: “That the Boko Haram is an Islamic Revolution which impact is not limited to Northern Nigeria, in fact, we are spread across all the 36 states in Nigeria, and Boko Haram is just a version of the Al Qaeda which we align with and respect. We support Osama bin Laden, we shall carry out his command in Nigeria until the country is totally Islamised which is according to the wish of Allah.”
The group threatening “That we have started a Jihad in Nigeria which no force on earth can stop. The aim is to Islamise Nigeria and ensures the rule of the majority Muslims in the country. We will teach Nigeria a lesson, a very bitter one. That from the Month of August, we shall carry out series of bombing in Southern and Northern Nigerian cities, beginning with Lagos, Ibadan, Enugu and Port Harcourt. The bombing will not stop until Sharia and Western Civilisation is wiped off from Nigeria. We will not stop until these evil cities are tuned into ashes.That we shall make the country ungovernable, kill and eliminate irresponsible political leaders of all leanings, hunt and gun down those who oppose the rule of Sharia in Nigeria and ensure that the infidel does not go unpunished” among other things.
Nigeria’s President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua described the group as criminals who are bent on tarnishing the image of his country. Yar’Adua earlier ordered his security men to take all necessary actions to put an end to the violence” it is the government that has moved to nip a potentially dangerous problem in the bud” whiles adding that “these people have been organizing, penetrating our societies, procuring arms, learning how to make explosives and bombs to disturb the peace and force abuse on the rest of Nigerians.”