Boko Haram proclaims Islamic caliphate in Gwoza

As reported in 'Nigerian Tribune' : Boko Haram proclaims Islamic caliphate in Gwoza •Shekau lied, Nigeria’s territorial integrity still intact –DHQ 25.Aug.2014 by - Soji-Eze Fagbemi, Collins Nnabuife and Moyosore Solarin

BOKO Haram’s leader, Abubakar Shekau, in a video obtained by AFP, on Sunday, said Gwoza, a town in Borno State, seized by the insurgents earlier this month, has been placed under an Islamic caliphate. “Thanks be to Allah who gave victory to our brethren in (the town of) Gwoza and made it part of the Islamic caliphate,” he said in the 52-minute video. In a July video, Shekau voiced support for the leader of the Islamic State (IS) militants, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who, in late June, declared himself “the caliph” and “leader of Muslims everywhere.” But there was no indication from Shekau in the latest video that he was associating himself with Baghdadi, whose Sunni Muslim fighters had taken over parts of Iraq and Syria. As such, it was not clear if Shekau was declaring himself to be a part of Baghdadi’s call or if he was referring to a separate Nigerian caliphate. In the 19th century, a Sokoto caliphate was proclaimed across most of modern-day northern Nigeria and was considered separate from other Islamic kingdoms, such as the Ottoman Empire. Shekau, who has been designated a global terrorist by the United States and sanctioned by the United Nations (UN) Security Council, is shown in the video wearing military fatigues, with a Kalashnikov rifle strapped to his body. He alternates between Arabic and the Hausa language, which is dominant in the region. He is pictured standing in front of three Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and flanked by four fighters, who are masked and armed. It is not clear when or where the video was filmed. There was no indication that Shekau was actually in Gwoza for the filming and his whereabouts remained unknown, but he vowed that his fighters would keep control of the area. “By the grace of Allah, we will not leave the town. We have come to stay,” he said. Experts have described Boko Haram’s gains in recent weeks as unprecedented, saying the group was closer than ever to achieving its goal of carving out a strict Islamic state across northern Nigeria. Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters, on Sunday, dismissed as empty, claims by the leader of the Boko Haram, Shekau, that the sect had seized Gwoza from the Nigerian government. In a statement by the Defence spokesman, Major General Chris Olukolade, insisted that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country remained intact. “The claim is empty. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Nigerian state is still intact. Any group of terrorists laying claim to any portion of the country will not be allowed to get away with that expression of delusion and crime. “Appropriate military operations to secure that area from the activities of the bandits are still ongoing,” the statement read. Army will launch offensive –Minimah THE Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Kenneth Minimah, has said the army will soon launch a massive military offensive to end insurgency in the North-East. Minimah made this known when he addressed troops of 2 Brigade, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at a two-day visit to army formations and units in Rivers, on Sunday. According to him, military hardware would soon arrive in the country, in furtherance of the Federal Government’s resolve to end Boko Haram activities. “The equiapment ordered by the Federal Government will soon be coming into the nation’s shores in a few weeks time. “As soon as the equipment come in, we will launch a major offensive toward ending this madness of insurgency in the North-East of the country,” he said. Minimah said under President Goodluck Jonathan, the army had witnessed significant improvement in personnel welfare and institutional capacity to confront the nation’s security challenges. Minimah, who also inaugurated six blocks of 28 flats and a block of five flats officers’ quarters built by the 2 Brigade, said the project would reduce accommodation deficit in the barrack.