Al Jazeera gained exclusive access to Boko Haram fighters in northern Nigeria.
Captured by the military, these men are in detention, but have agreed to tell their stories. The group wants a strict form of Islamic law imposed throughout Nigeria and has been behind many bombings and suicide attacks.
Of the men captured and on line up, Mohamed Ibrahim says he is a spiritual leader, a teacher and advocate of the sects beliefs, he said “ we attacked a van transferring money killed the occupants and took away the money, we also robbed banks and looted shops” . Al Jazeera reporter asked if he was speaking freely or was being forced to say what he was saying and he answered “between God and I, I am speaking willy”…
She went further to ask why they kill innocents citizens, but he said that during a raid, if innocent citizens are caught in the cross fire, the people who die are considered to be innocent by God and they accepted in to heaven and they who committed the act would also be forgiven since it was done in accident.
The sect member later speaking through their lawyers said that the military is lawless in Nigeria and has refused to charge the them to court, he advised the military to act by guideline and either charge the them to court or set them free to go about their lives, in a swift reaction, the military when contacted said that “under the terrorism act, they are permitted to hold suspects for an indefinite time, either till the case is investigated and proven or disproven”. But these sect members do not want to wait; they seek amnesty now and said they are ready to embrace government’s dialogue.