The leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, has threatened attacks in Nigeria’s oil region in a new video released on Wednesday, on a day that his men invaded the north east town of Bama, killing people and destroying property.
“You will in coming days see your refinery bombed,” Shekau warned in the 28-minute-long video obtained by AFP.
It was unclear when the video was recorded.
“Niger Delta, you are in trouble,” Shekau said, speaking in Hausa, the dominant language in northern Nigeria.
The video was shot in an open field, where Shekau was surrounded by an armoured tank, two military vans and about a dozen gun-bearing soldiers.
Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, derives more than 90 percent of its foreign exchange earnings from oil.
The US government, which has designated Shekau a terrorist, has offered a reward of up to $7 million for information on his whereabouts.
In the video, Shekau — who admitted killing an Islamic cleric, Adam Albani, about two weeks ago in the northern Nigerian city of Zaria — also threatened to kill other Muslim and political figures in the country, including the respected Shehu of Borno, a prominent Muslim leader, and the Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, who was attacked by suspected Islamists last year.
“The reason why I will kill you is you are infidels. You follow democracy. Whoever follows democracy is an infidel. This is Shekau. This is why I am in enmity with you,” he said, his comments interspersed with gunshots fired in the air by him and his aides.
“We killed Albani of Zaria; Shekau killed Albani of Zaria, and tomorrow he will kill Jingir, Shehu of Borno and Ado Bayero.” The former Governor of Kano State, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau is also a target.
Shekau also vowed to assassinate Sheik Yaya Jingir based in Plateau state along with many others they accused of supporting Christians, democracy and infidels.
“We will bomb refineries there, those in Jonathan’s town and their leader should know. Shekau is talking to you; this small boy is talking to you, very soon your refinery will be crushed, and very soon, we will bomb this refineries you are flaunting. Niger Delta you are in danger, Jonathan you are in danger.”
He boasted that Boko Haram is responsible for the killing of Christians whom he described as infidels. Shekau also said soon the sect will be spread all over Nigeria and anyone found in school or teaching western education will be killed.