Terrorist group, Boko Haram, has said it was behind Monday’s twin suicide bombing at the University of Maiduguri in Borno State, Nigeria, which claimed four lives including the suicide bombers.
An audio recording purported to be that of the leader of the group, Abubakar Shekau, was posted on social media late on Monday. The authenticity of the recording is not yet verified.
We Will do It Again
The recording said: “There is no need for long explanation. The bomb that went off in the University of Maiduguri today in the morning, our brothers detonated them. May Allah accept their souls.
“Do not deceive the people by saying it is a mosque. What mosque? Where you carry out unbelief? Has the prophet ever done anything like democracy in his mosque? You keep disrespecting the Prophet Mohammed.
“You build mosques and then carry out Jewish practices in them? If you are told it is bad practice, you continue to claim you love the prophet. We shall go to the hear-after and conclude this trial in the presence of Allah. We will do it again. We shall continue doing that. We shall not stop.
“We do not recognise anybody who mixes Islam with something else. Is a lie they are not Muslims. If truly you are Muslims then repent. Buhari, we are angry with you. Kukah Shekah, may Allah kill you, we are not angry with you.
“Nigerians, we are not angry at you. But the things you have made it compulsory, as an act of worship to be angry with you. We do see your skins. Anyone who is an unbeliever, Allah says we should oppose him. We detonated the bombs.
“Liars! Liars! Liars! We thrashed you this week in Sambisa. You did not kill any one of our men. You lying Shekah!”
The group is making the claim a day after the attack. A professor of Veterinary Medicine, Aliyu Mani, was one of those killed in the early morning attack while 17 people were injured.
Survivors say the attack was carried out by a seven year old boy who detonated his bomb while Muslim worshipers were praying at the junior staff quarters mosque.
The attack was the first on the university since the nearly six-year-old insurgency began.
Remain More Vigilant
The Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, while condemning the attack, reassured communities in Borno and others in the Northeastern part of the country that his administration would continue to ensure that terrorism does not triumph over peace-loving Nigerians.
He restated the need for Nigerians to remain more vigilant even as the security agencies continue to use all means at their disposal, to combat the remnants of insurgents and their sponsors.
Boko Haram’s insurgency has killed about 15,000 people and displaced more than 2 million.
In early 2015, the group controlled an area the size of Belgium but has been pushed out from most of territory by the Nigerian military with help from neighboring countries.
The group has, however, stepped up attacks in the past few weeks as the end of the rainy season facilitates movements in the bush.
