Their conversion to Islam, war against Christianity – CAN
We’re still studying video, says FG
Borno governor asks parents to verify clip
Sadiq Abubakar, Maiduguri,
Samuel Aruwan Kaduna
Leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, yesterday gave a condition for freeing of the schoolgirls he is holding, just as he released a new video purporting to show many of the girls. And the condition is: release all arrested Boko Haram members first.
The nearly 300 girls were abducted by Boko Haram members at Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno state, on April 14.
In the 17-minute video clip, Shekau appeared in military uniform, holding an AK-47 rifle on his chest, while the girls, who were seated on ground wore an Islamic attire known as hijab, reciting Suratul Fatiha, the first chapter of the Holy Qur’an.
Most of the girls are Christians.
Shekau in the video clip said there are many other men and women that he has abducted.
He did not give a precise number of the girls in his custody, though. But he claimed that many of them have already been converted to Islam.
The militant leader vowed that no force would be able to trace their whereabouts and rescue them.
He said his group was willing to exchange them with many of his members, arrested and in security custody in various detention cells across the country.
Speaking in Arabic and Hausa, Shekau said he was “seriously shocked by the outrage around the world” over the kidnapping of the schoolgirls which he claimed was “commanded” by God.
He said: “All I am saying is that if you want us to release your girls that we kidnapped, you must release our brethren that are held in Borno, Yobe, Kano, Kaduna, Abuja, Lagos, up to Enugu. We know that you have incarcerated our brethren all over this country.
“There are some of my brethren who have spent five complete years without seeing their wives, without seeing their children. For God’s sake, even for ensuring their release, would I not kidnap? After all, Allah says I should kidnap.
“You that seized and detained my brethren for five years, you arrested and kept a woman without getting married for four, five years, you seized and hold our children.
“You did all these to us but today because we did what Allah already told us to do you are busy making noise that ‘Shekau has kidnapped this and that, he said he would sell’. Yes, I will sell. I will sell!
“Those of them that have not accepted Islam, they are now gathered in numbers. They are staying with us. We will never release them until our brethren are released.”
Reacting to the development, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said the video clip has vindicated it that Christians and the Church remained the primary and essential target of Boko Haram.
National President of the association, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, said the conversion of the girls to Islam was “a war” against Christians and Christianity.
Oritsejafor, who spoke through CAN’s National Director of Research, Elder Sunday Oibe, at a press conference in Kaduna, said it was criminal and an abomination for Christian children to be forcefully converted to Islam.
Oibe said: “I have the consent of our national president, who is abroad, to address you. First, these children are Christians and not Muslims, and so they cannot be converted to a religion that is not theirs at gun point without conviction.
“Besides, is that how conversion is being carried out? All the children displayed are Christians, and that is the motive behind the abduction.
“It is simple, because they are Christians and they represent the Church in the eyes of their abductors.
“Secondly, it smacks of some form of religious persecution. If not, why are their captors converting them to another religion? And if they say they will use them as a condition to negotiate their men in detention, our daughters are not criminals and cannot be used in any way to free their criminal fighters.
“Show us where in Nigeria you have seen Christians fighting and throwing bombs in the name of God. We challenge any one to show us where Christians have abducted Muslim children in the name of Christianity. We challenge anyone to prove us in Nigeria where Christians have taken arms in the name of protecting Christianity or even carry out acts of genocide on helpless and defenceless Nigerians.
“As far we are concerned, it is a war against Christians and Christianity.
“We are not speaking for the Nigerian State, the State will speak for itself, but we cannot be forced by some people to define for us our predicament and persecution.
“It is a war against Christians and the Church. We are feeling it and deeply affected. No amount of propaganda can deter us from saying the truth.
“We have said ours, it is now left for the government to expedite action and return our children to us.
“They are Christians, they are not slaves, they are not Muslims and it is unacceptable to us. Let the whole world see it now.”
Also in its reaction, the federal government said that it had seen the video clip and was reviewing it and the accompanying statement issued by the sect leader.
In a statement issued by the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Mike Omeri, the government said it would continue to explore all options for the “release and safe return of our girls back to their homes.”
It added: “An earlier report by a section of the media purported to have been issued by government is totally false.”
Meanwhile, Borno state Governor Kashim Shettima has directed that the video clip be moved into mobile storage devices under the care of some officials, including the chairman of Chibok local government area, show it to the parents of the abducted girls, some of the freed students who know their abducted colleagues, teachers and management staff of GSS, Chibok, to verify the authenticity of the clip.
“He is however optimistic about the video,” said his media aide Isa Gusau.
Gusau said the governor viewed the development as encouraging, especially given the fact that some of the girls said they were not harmed.
“The governor hopes that the girls did not speak under duress,” he said.
“While awaiting the confirmation, Governor Shettima calls on citizens of Borno state, most of whom commenced another round of fasting today, to seek divine help in response to appeal by the governor to intensify prayers for the safe release of the schoolgirls who are very precious not only to Borno but to the entire world.
“Shettima expresses appreciation to President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, for their concern and concerted efforts towards the release of the schoolgirls.
“The governor also expresses appreciation to other Nigerians, world leaders and citizens around the world, whose pressures have been of tremendous help so far.
“The governor particularly thanks all security agencies and volunteers engaged in search and rescue efforts with an appeal that the efforts are intensisified till all the girls safely return home.
“The governor once again commiserates with families of the abducted girls and assures that the federal and Borno state governments, with the support of the international community, are collaborating towards the freedom of the girls who are also his daughters.
“Shettima also extends appreciation to media establishments and journalists, local and international, for their efforts so far.
“He enjoins citizens with relevant information to forward such directly to security agencies using phone lines that have long been made public or should send the information through community leaders in respective local government areas or to send to him directly through his phone numbers that are of public knowledge in Borno state.”
