TheCable

Abubakar Shekau, leader of the Boko Haram sect, says the group is responsible for the killing of farmers in Borno state.

The farmers were killed after Boko Haram attacked them at Zabarmari community in Jere local government area of the state.

Babagana Zulum, governor of the state, had said  43 residents were killed while they were working on their farmlands.

But in a video released on Tuesday, Shekau said at least 78 farmers were killed in the tragic incident.

He said his men went after the farmers because they handed over a member of the sect to the Nigerian army.

Shekau said those giving out intelligence on Boko Haram activities to the military will face the same fate.

“We are the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna lid Da’awati Wal Jihad under the leadership of Abu Muhammad Abubakar bn Muhammad Ashshaqawi,” one of Shekau’s commanders said.

“We are sending this message to the people of Nigeria that we are responsible for what happened recently in the suburbs of Maiduguri. Especially the one that took place at Zabarmari, we undertook it. Likewise the one that took place at Gom, we are responsible as well.

“This is to serve as deterrent for your assumption that you can arrest one of our people and hand him over to the soldiers. You will not see peace when you do that. Don’t ever assume that God Almighty is forgetful of what you did.

“Our second message to you is that you should repent; you should repent. Your repentance is preferable to us than killing you; meaning that we are not after killing you. What we are after is for you to repent and come and submit to the religion of God.

“That is why we are on the mission and this is what we want to achieve. It is only he that refuses to repent that we will fight. Whosoever repents is of us and we will embrace him warmly and live with him as our brother, just as we recently retrieved some of our brothers who declared their repentance.

“The third message is to those who stand fast on what they are on, meaning, those who arrest our brothers and hand them over to soldiers or give the soldiers information about us and so on. You should know that what has happened to your people recently will happen to you if you persist.

“If you think this will save you then keep to it and you will see. We will never stop what we are doing. This is our promise and we believe God Almighty will make us succeed.”

The killing has been widely condemned within and outside Nigeria, with the United Nations describing it as the “most violent attack” affecting civilians in 2020.

Earlier on Tuesday, the senate had asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the “overstayed” service chiefs, while the house of representatives said they would summon the president over the killing.