A leader of the Boko haram faction that has been in negotiations with the Nigerian
government appointed “Amnesty Committee ” headed by a government minister yesterday declared that his team carried out the deadly Kano bombings that killed over 40 people in the Sabo-Gari area of the Kano.
The new leader, Mohammed Marwana released an audio message obtained by Saharareporters. Mr. Marwana’s assertions in the audio yesterday added a new twist to the controversy surrounding the authenticity of the faction of the islamist militant group in talks with the federal government and recent claims that the old leader of the groups was deposedafter he was shot.
Speaking in Hausa language, Marwana said the Kano bombings was carried out to prove that he is the authentic leader of the sect because people continue to doubt him and his group of negotiators.
“I personally instructed the attack in Kano to prove to the world that, I am the real leader of Boko Haram because there have been retrogressive forces on the issue of dialogue, who kept doubting my leadership in the sect. I told them ahead that there will be attack, and it has happened. It is a warning, and we need to say again that we carried out the attacks in Kano”, he said.
The man who claimed to have been appointed leader of the sect debunked speculations that the globally known leader of the sect, Imam Abubakar Shekau is dead. Marwana stated that Shekau is alive and that nothing has happened to him except that he lost leadership of the sect.
Speaking further in the audio message, he stated, “Shekau is alive contrary to speculations, except that he lost leadership of the sect. I will not tell you where he is, but he is alive, and we talked with him not up to three hours ago, except if he died while I am talking.”
There has been controversy regarding authenticity of Marwana as a member of the sect and its leadership, as he was recently dismissed by Imam Shekau in a Youtube video after he claimed that the sect had agreed to cease-fire with Nigerian government.
Other credible sources in the know about Boko Haram activities in Borno and Yobe States expressed doubts over Marwana’s claim to leadership of the sect. In separate interiews, our sources described Marwana as a stage-managed Boko Haram figure created by government officials to siphon off millions of dollars designated for ending the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria.
– Sahara Reporters