Boko Haram leader defends attacking Christians in new video

The leader of Nigeria’s Boko Haram Islamist militants has defended recent attacks on Christians, saying they are “revenge for killings of Muslims.”

That’s the BBC headline as a video message by Abubakar Shekau discussed attacks on Muslims in recent years in several parts of northern Nigeria – including attacks on Christmas Day which killed dozens were murdered and a National Emergency was implemented.

BBC reports the details of the video:

In the 15-minute video, Mr Shekau, wearing a red and white turban, a bullet-proof vest and sitting in front of two Kalashnikov rifles, said he was responding to recent statements from Nigeria’s President Jonathan and the leader of the country’s main Christian organisation, the Christian Association of Nigeria.

He warned President Jonathan that Nigeria’s security forces would not be able to defeat the group.

Mr Jonathan, a Christian, declared a state of emergency in some northern states last month – but the attacks have continued.

On Tuesday night, gunmen opened fire on a bar in Yobe, killing eight people, including several police officers.

The president recently said that he suspected some officials, politicians and members of the security forces sympathised with Boko Haram.

Defending the latest spate of violence, Mr Shekau referred to the killing of Muslims in places like Jos, Kaduna, Zangon Kataf, Tafawa Balewa in recent years.

Yes, they will kill other Muslims.

“They killed our fellows and even ate their flesh in Jos,” he said, referring to reports last year of isolated cases of Christian youths burning and eating their rivals in Plateau state, where more than 1,000 people have been killed in a series of clashes over the past two years.

Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram leader