Boko Haram Leader Shekau Mocks Chibok Girls Parents

Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, has taunted distraught parents of the abducted Chibok school girls, telling them to accept the insurgents as their sons- in-law.
At least 100 of over 200 Chibok girls kidnapped by the terror group in 2014 remain in captivity.

A new video released on Monday by the group showed more than a dozen girls who identified themselves as the abducted Chibok girls.

Many of them had babies, an indication they had been sexually abused by the militants.

A young woman who spoke on behalf of the girls said the captives were doing well and were unwilling to return to their families. The speaker wore full face veil and could not be identified.

Mr. Shekau said the parents of the girls should consider himself and his men as their in-laws because their daughters were “happily married” to his fighters.

The 36-minute video which the Boko Haram leader claimed was recorded on Sunday, January 14, also faulted the claims of the Nigerian military that he was “unhealthy” and “a spent horse”.

Mr. Shekau said the 107 girls that had so far regained their freedom were released by his group because they refused to convert to Islam or get married.

He said he also had in custody 10 policewomen that were abducted along Damboa-Maiduguri Road when his men ambushed a military convoy in 2017.

Mr. Shekau, who spoke largely in Hausa, said the latest attempt by the Nigerian military to invade his enclave and rescue the policewomen was met with severe resistance that caused the government heavy losses including an helicopter, armoured tank, armoured personnel carrier and trucks.

Mr. Shekau said his group would not give up the fight because they are devoted to the cause.

He also claimed responsibility for most of the suicide bombings that took place recently.

The video later showed the abducted 10 policewomen, many of who wept as they looked into camera.

Mr. Shekau’s comments are transcribed below:

“Oh you people of Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon, here is my message to you all . The God that created all of us and enjoined us in His holy book, just as he sent it through our holy prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him) gave him the instruction to say that Allah has sanctioned mankind this straight path and make clear this path that does not lead one astray. This path is the only path prescribed to all mankind in the world. May God take our lives on this path.

“The government of Nigeria cannot end what we are doing; they can only die trying.

Particularly you the people of Nigeria and government of Nigeria; please stop deceiving yourselves about what you cannot achieve. You cannot stop us. And stop following the path that is not right.

“God has instructed us to catch whoever that is not following our path and detained such persons in our prisons, or we could set him free and let him go ; or we could as well take our revenge on their lives. Whatever we see in the holy book is what we do. We don’t look elsewhere.

“That is why we hold unto the Chibok girls; that is why we still have the police women. Among the Chibok schoolgirls that insisted on following the ways of their parents’ religion, we allowed them to go back and joined their people. And here with us we have the police women who have not converted to Islam and we are not going to force them to do so. They are here begging for you to come release them.

“But for the remaining Chibok girls, you can’t get them again because they have all accepted and understood the religion of God. They did not accept Islam because of us; who are we to force them? That is why we say our ways is not that of the mortal being, but that of God.

“You have said that I, Abubakar Shekau, is tired and unhealthy. But you forget that no one gets tired on the path of God. I am still strong and ready to carry on the work of God. That is why the Chibok schoolgirls, who have gone through the western education, are today following the book of God, because they have come to understand that the constitution is not the right path but a deception. They have now realised that your laws in Nigeria is not for good for them. It is written in the first article of your constitution that the constitution takes precedence over and above any other law book including the holy books. But how come these Chibok girls still come to accept the laws and constitution of God?

“You use to teach children in your schools to say ‘I pledge to Nigeria my country, to be faithful loyal and honest, to serve Nigeria with all my strength, to defend her honour and glory’. Is that not what you teach your pupils?

“It is still the same you that ask the children to sing “Arise O’ Compatriots, Nigerians call obey. To serve our father land, with love and strength and faith, the labor of hour heroes past shall never be in vain…”. Is that not what you teach our young children in school that they should not allow the labour of past leaders to waste in vain.