Jama’atu Ahlussunnah Lidda’awati Wal Jihad, the Shekau’s faction of Boko Haram, released a new video on the night of Monday, June 15, 2020, wooing armed groups in the North West and North Central.
North West is recently under heavy and serial attacks from armed groups with many cases of kidnappings, banditry and cattle rustling, forcing many people to abandon their homes and flee to other locations, including the neighbouring Niger Republic.
The 13 minutes 49 seconds video, exclusively obtained by HumAngle, shows four speakers addressing viewers in English, Hausa, Fulfulde and French, appealing to people in Zamfara and Niger States to strive harder in the cause of Allah.
“My brothers in Lake Chad, my brothers in Cameroon, my brothers in Sambisa, my brothers in Niger State, my brothers in Zamfara State; I urge us and encourage us to strive harder for the sake of Allah,” appealed a masked speaker with a blurred face.
“Everything we do is for the cause of Allah, and I encourage you to keep doing it. Strive harder, because Allah instructed us in the Holy Quran to strive harder and harder for His cause.
“You feel we kill. You feel we destroy. Allah has instructed us to kill everyone that is unbelieving,” he said.
Clerics who are familiar with the recruitment mode of Jihadi terrorists but who do not want their names in print confided with HumAngle that Boko Haram’s adoption of four international languages in conveying this message was both strategic and ambitious.
They pointed out that not only is the message targeted at swaying the Fulani militia troops dominant in states in the North West but they were equally hoping to connect with audiences across the Sahel in Hausa, English and French languages.
According to them, this step highlights the strategic plan that may be driving the future Jihadi campaigns of Boko Haram in parts of West Africa and the Sahel. The man who spoke in Hausa called on the people of the world, specifically the armed groups in Zamfara and Niger States, to join Boko Haram.
“We are sending a message to our brethren in Lake Chad, Cameroon and Sambisa. We are also sending this message to our brethren in Niger and Zamfara States.
“We want to assure you that we are fine and we hope you are also in a good state of health. We thank God who put us on this path, in this time, to promote His words and institute His law.
“My second message is to the people of Nigeria, Cameroon, and the whole world. We call you to join us to institute Sharia globally.
“When you come, we will accept you according to (Shari’ah) law, and we (will) worship Allah as He commands us.”
Other speakers who spoke in Fulfulde and French emphasised the same message, appealing to the armed groups to join them to institute their brand of Sharia law.
The use of Hausa and Fulfulde in the new video is seen by experts as an attempt to reach a wide audience who speak the two languages in the North West and parts of the Sahel region.
HumAngle probed the source of the video to confirm whether the armed groups in Zamfara and Niger states had already paid allegiance to Boko Haram. Our source was emphatic about this.
Experts in Jihadi allegiance protocols told HumAngle that if the allegiance had been consummated it would follow that a statement would be out soon.
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