Nigeria braces up for fresh terror attacks

A propaganda video by Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, has alerted Nigeria’s security agencies to possible terror attacks on soft targets, TheCable understands.

In the video posted on YouTube last week and removed after a few hours, Shekau made a reference to an impending attack “in the heart of your land”, a phrase being interpreted to mean a major city in the country, most likely to be carried out by suicide bombers.

He also constantly referred to the “West Africa Province” — understood to mean the Islamic State in West Africa, the franchise of ISIS under which Boko Haram is now believed to be operating.

There are theories that the March 13 attacks on a beach in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, might have been carried out by the “province” under Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Shekawi, the man Shekau repeatedly called “governor” in the video.

Although the arrest of Khalid Albarnawi by the Department of State Services (DSS) on Friday is considered a major victory, TheCable learnt that there are worries in intelligence circles about what he was doing at a military barracks at the time he was nabbed.

Meanwhile, Shekau has threatened President Muhammadu Buhari in the video, describing him as a “tyrant” and “the tail of the cross in Nigeria”, and promising that the knives of the “mujahideed” (warriors) will “reach” his neck.

THE TRANSCRIPT

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Verily, the enemies of Allah the Almighty hold conferences and meetings to come up with a solution for the hole into which they fell, thinking that they can rescue their proxies and allies from the assault of the soldiers of the Caliphate. They gave statements and threatened on television screen that they will defeat the monotheists who proved, by the grace of Allah the Almighty, the extent of their firmness and the harm they inflicted upon their enemies and the losses in terms of lives, wealth, and weapons, whether in Nigeria, the Niger border, Cameroon, or Chad.

Those people were shocked by what they saw, and they were surprised by the steadfastness of the monotheists in front of their Crusader campaigns, despite their alliance and cooperation with their henchmen from among the apostates and the Rafidhi (Shi’ite) militias. The monotheists have realized that victory is from Allah.

These campaigns fill them with great steadfastness and determination to finish the march, until they purify the land from the filth and defilement of the polytheists. As usual, the disbelievers and apostates have for ages, when they feel hopeless to stop the spread of the truth, rush to scheme and sow rumors and lies against the mujahideen. This is to hinder people from following the truth. They take up the method of their polytheist ancestors, who schemed day and night against the prophets of Allah and the messengers and those who followed them, but did not reach their goal, because the cunning of Allah against them was faster.

Neither the disbelievers nor their apostate henchmen were able to extinguish the light of Allah, so they rushed to use trumpets of hypocrisy from among media personnel and journalists to achieve what they can of fake victory. They portray the enemies of Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, as men of determination, power, and severity, hiding the truth of the enemy and its situation, especially when they meet the soldiers of the Caliphate face-to-face. If you do not believe [us], then ask those who fought us in Gudunbali and during our attack in Geidam.

Here, we in West Africa Province say to all the disbelieving sects: (recites Qur’anic Verse). The days are between us, O enemies of Allah. You will see our strength and severity. Our conflict will not end with you until you believe in Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, through Islam. If you refuse and remain arrogant, then we go forth under the command of the governor of West Africa Province, Sheikh Abu Bakr al-Shekawi, may Allah preserve him, and embitter your lives, make widows of your women, and orphans of your children.

Your situation will be the same as the situation of the soldiers of the tyrant in Iraq, Sham (Syria), Libya, Khorasan, and Sinai, with permission from Allah the One, the Subduer. Know that your spreading of lies and rumors will only give us more assurance that we are right, Allah willing. There is not softening or appeasing, and no peace or safety as long as you fight the religion of Allah.

We say to the tail of the Cross in Nigeria, the tyrant Buhari: The Crusaders will not benefit you, and the atheists will not benefit for you, for they are weak and disabled. They will not be able to achieve what you want, and they will not rush to rescue you if the knives of the mujahideen reach your neck. You will regret but it will be too late. So repent before we punish you. Learn from the other tyrants and what befell them. You will understand what we say soon, with permission from Allah the Almighty, in the heart of your land. We say to the Muslims everywhere the same as our Lord the Great and Almighty said: [Qur’anic Verse].

Beware of these channels and television screens, for all of them follow and are managed by the Crusaders and disbelievers. They broadcast what pours into their interests. We say to the soldiers of the Caliph of the Muslims, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi al-Qurashi, may Allah preserve him: Steadfastness, steadfastness, and patience, patience. Victory comes with an hour’s patience. So be firm in the face of your enemy and seek help from Allah against them. Mention often the saying “Sufficient for us is Allah, and He is the Best Disposer of our affairs”.