Boko Haram Denies Attacks on Women and Children

Insists It Will Go After Attackers Who Use Their Name

by Jason Ditz, August 06, 2012

Boko Haram’s leadership has issued a half hour video today in Nigeria issuing a series of demands, including a call for Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan to resign and convert to Islam. The group also slammed population control initiatives being advanced by the government as unacceptable.

The center of the comments, however, were a blanket denial for several attacks which have killed women and children. The organization acknowledged that such attacks took place but denied anything to do with them.

They explained this by saying the attackers were using their name illegitimately and promised to “go after” those it catches doing so. They insisted the only attacks they carried out were against “those who have offended us, arrested our people and killed them.”

Jonathan’s spokesman Dr. Reuben Abati dismissed the idea of the president converting, saying the call amounted to “sheer blackmail” and that he would “never resign” on under condition.

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