A Boko Haram faction, Islamic State West Africa Provence
(ISWAP), has given the reason it released the girls kidnapped from
the Government Girls’ Technical College, Dapchi in Yobe State ,
Saharareporters Reports
The group, in an audio recording exclusively obtained by
SaharaReporters, said the girls were freed because of its
allegiance to the leadership of the Islamic State in Iraq and the
Levant (ISIL). In the recording, the faction’s head of Shura
(highest decision body), Abu Bashir, urged its members to remain
loyal to ISIL.
The Federal Government, on 25 March, announced a five-day
ceasefire for the return of the girls. Information Minister, Mr.
Lai Mohammed, in a statement, said: “The week-long ceasefire is
besides ongoing broader negotiations for a permanent ceasefire with
the insurgents.”
The minister said the insurgents were compelled to release the
students and others because their capture was against government’s
negotiations with the group.
The claim was, however, refuted by the Director- General of the
Department of State Security Service (DSS), Mr. Lawan Daura.
According to him, the Federal Government has never been in any
ceasefire talks with Boko Haram.
Bashir, in the audio obtained by SaharaReporters, said the group
abducted the Dapchi school girls to force the release of some of
its members in detention and get paid ransom.
However, added Bashir, as soon as it consulted ISIL leaders, it
responded that the abduction, especially of Muslim girls “cast the
group in bad light”, especially at a time it is struggling to win
over Muslims in West Africa, including in Niger Republic, after it
drifted from the Abubakar Shekau faction, which still holds some of
the Chibok girls after four years of abduction.
Bashir said there are two categories of apostates. According to
him, one category is made up of those not fighting ISIL, but
assisting those fighting it. The kidnap of the Dapchi schoolgirls,
according to ISIL, was carried out by the first category. ISWAP
explained that those who fight against it like the Civilian Joint
Task Force, will be killed.
“We will kill them, both men and women, wherever we find them
because they took up arms against us,” said Bashir.
ISWAP said after it preached to some of the Dapchi girls, they
promised to embrace its brand of Islam. The group added that the
girls even asked for directions on their back home, explaining that
it had no control over whether or not the girls would be accept
what it preached.
Bashir stated that other than the compliance with ISIL’s strict
instructions issued by the Calipha, Abu Bakr-al-Baghdadi, there was
no other reason for the release of the school girls.
A source knowledgeable about ISWAP said there was no way the
faction would have been involved in negotiations for an end to the
insurgency because Abu Musab Albarnawi is only a Wali (governor),
in the Lake Chad Basin are. He explained that there is a chain of
command and the final decision is made by the leader of ISIL.
“Anyone who believes any individual or group of people on the
issue of a ceasefire and peace settlement is being scammed. I doubt
even Shekau will accept any deal that does not recognize his
authority rule” he said.
The Information Minister had claimed that the recent release of
the police officers’ wives and University of Maiduguri lecturers
from captivity by the insurgents were part of the broader talks,
fuelling speculations of another round of ransom payments by the
government, sonething the source described as emanating from
ignorance.
“The only ceasefire that existed between Boko Haram and security
forces was a chance to return the school girls unharmed and it was
in the best interest of the government to accept the offer but as
usual, politicians in Abuja began to lie,” said the source.
At the end of the audio recording, Bashir urged those who left
the faction to return, an indication of deep divisions within the
group and a sign that confidence tricksters may have ample
opportunity to dupe the Federal Government, which is desperate to
bring a protracted war to an end.
A Boko Haram faction, Islamic State West Africa Provence
(ISWAP), has given the reason it released the girls kidnapped from
the Government Girls’ Technical College, Dapchi in Yobe State ,
Saharareporters Reports
The group, in an audio recording exclusively obtained by
SaharaReporters, said the girls were freed because of its
allegiance to the leadership of the Islamic State in Iraq and the
Levant (ISIL). In the recording, the faction’s head of Shura
(highest decision body), Abu Bashir, urged its members to remain
loyal to ISIL.
The Federal Government, on 25 March, announced a five-day
ceasefire for the return of the girls. Information Minister, Mr.
Lai Mohammed, in a statement, said: “The week-long ceasefire is
besides ongoing broader negotiations for a permanent ceasefire with
the insurgents.”
The minister said the insurgents were compelled to release the
students and others because their capture was against government’s
negotiations with the group.
The claim was, however, refuted by the Director- General of the
Department of State Security Service (DSS), Mr. Lawan Daura.
According to him, the Federal Government has never been in any
ceasefire talks with Boko Haram.
Bashir, in the audio obtained by SaharaReporters, said the group
abducted the Dapchi school girls to force the release of some of
its members in detention and get paid ransom.
However, added Bashir, as soon as it consulted ISIL leaders, it
responded that the abduction, especially of Muslim girls “cast the
group in bad light”, especially at a time it is struggling to win
over Muslims in West Africa, including in Niger Republic, after it
drifted from the Abubakar Shekau faction, which still holds some of
the Chibok girls after four years of abduction.
Bashir said there are two categories of apostates. According to
him, one category is made up of those not fighting ISIL, but
assisting those fighting it. The kidnap of the Dapchi schoolgirls,
according to ISIL, was carried out by the first category. ISWAP
explained that those who fight against it like the Civilian Joint
Task Force, will be killed.
“We will kill them, both men and women, wherever we find them
because they took up arms against us,” said Bashir.
ISWAP said after it preached to some of the Dapchi girls, they
promised to embrace its brand of Islam. The group added that the
girls even asked for directions on their back home, explaining that
it had no control over whether or not the girls would be accept
what it preached.
Bashir stated that other than the compliance with ISIL’s strict
instructions issued by the Calipha, Abu Bakr-al-Baghdadi, there was
no other reason for the release of the school girls.
A source knowledgeable about ISWAP said there was no way the
faction would have been involved in negotiations for an end to the
insurgency because Abu Musab Albarnawi is only a Wali (governor),
in the Lake Chad Basin are. He explained that there is a chain of
command and the final decision is made by the leader of ISIL.
“Anyone who believes any individual or group of people on the
issue of a ceasefire and peace settlement is being scammed. I doubt
even Shekau will accept any deal that does not recognize his
authority rule” he said.
The Information Minister had claimed that the recent release of
the police officers’ wives and University of Maiduguri lecturers
from captivity by the insurgents were part of the broader talks,
fuelling speculations of another round of ransom payments by the
government, sonething the source described as emanating from
ignorance.
“The only ceasefire that existed between Boko Haram and security
forces was a chance to return the school girls unharmed and it was
in the best interest of the government to accept the offer but as
usual, politicians in Abuja began to lie,” said the source.
At the end of the audio recording, Bashir urged those who left
the faction to return, an indication of deep divisions within the
group and a sign that confidence tricksters may have ample
opportunity to dupe the Federal Government, which is desperate to
bring a protracted war to an end.