Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau has declared Gwoza the town seized by the extremist earlier this month as an Islamic caliphate. Shekau made the statement in a video which shows a group of prisoners being shot with assault rifles as they lie in a ditch.
'Thanks be to Allah who gave victory to our brethren in (the town of) Gwoza and made it part of the Islamic caliphate,' he claims during the 52-minute video. By the grace of Allah we will not leave the town. We have come to stay,' said Shekau,
The Defence spokesman, Major Gen. Chris Olukolade has earlier today s described the claim as empty. Hours later, the video was released. His statement below…
“The claim is empty. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Nigerian state is still intact. Any group of terrorists laying claim to any portion of the country will not be allowed to get away with that expression of delusion and crime. Appropriate military operations to secure that area from the activities of the bandits are still ongoing,’ Maj. Gen. Olukolade said.
More pics after cut…
Shekau, who has been branded a global terrorist by the United States, stands alongside two masked rebels as he reads the declaration from a script
During the 52-minute video, the camera pans to a heavy duty machine gun installed on the back of a truck
A rebel is also shown riding around on the back of the vehicle as it travels through fields outside Gwoza - a month after it was captured by members of Boko Haram
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