Abubakar Shekau’s faction of Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the killing of over 43 farmers in Zabarmari area of Borno state.
In a new three minutes 37-second video released online, the sect members said they carried out the attack because the farmers arrested one of its members and handed him to the Nigerian military.
“You think you can nab our brother and hand him to soldiers and live in peace,” a masked commander of the group asked in the video. You think Allah will forget what you have done to our brother”a masked commander of the groupasked
The commander also swore that those who have arrested Boko Haram terrorists or have been spying on them and have not repented will be given the same treatment.
“The third message is on those who notoriously nab our brethren and hand them to the military or give them a clue on us. You should know that, unless you repent, what happened to your people is awaiting you.” he warned
Meanwhile, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo says Boko Haram’s random attacks can be checked with local intelligence gathering and community policing efforts.
He stated this while expressing sadness over Saturday’s killing of 43 farmers in Zabarmari, Jere local government area of Borno State.
The vice president spoke on Tuesday in Nasarawa, where he is on a one-day working visit.
Re-echoing President Muhammadu Buhari, Osinbajo said that the insurgents had acted dastardly by killing innocent people, who had gone to their farms to work.
According to him, only an “insane” person shoots or kills defenceless people.
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“I spoke to Gov. Babagana Zulum and the former Governor, Sen. Kashim Shettima, to express my condolences but more importantly, to try and think through ways of dealing with this kind of random attacks.