Video & Photos: Boko Haram's leader declares Islamic caliphate in Nigeria, seizes Gwoza town

UPDATE:

News: Muslim Group Rejects Boko Haram Claim Of Forming Gwoza’s Caliphate 

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has rejected Boko Haram's claim that it has formed an Islamic caliphate in Gwoza town, Borno State.The group, in a strong-worded statement signed by its leader, Professor Isiaq Akintola, said it is un-Islamic, while it urged Nigerian Armed Forces to stand up and cleanse the Boko Haram fighters.
The full position read in part:

The leader of the Boko Haram insurgents, Abubakar Shekau, yesterday declared Gwoza as Boko Haram’s caliphate. Gwoza is a part of Borno State that was overrun by the insurgents a few days ago.
We of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) hereby totally and unequivocally reject this declaration. We reaffirm our faith in the unity and indissolubility of Nigeria.
Almighty Allah says, “Oh you who believe, obey Allah, His Messenger and those in position of authority.” (Qur’an 4:59). Islam therefore commands obedience to constituted authority but Boko Haram has chosen disobedience to and belligerence towards the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

Whereas Boko Haram members are aware that the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III is the indisputable leader of all Nigerian Muslims, they have refused to heed all his appeals. Instead of giving honour to Muslim leaders and Emirs, Boko Haram has killed some of them and attacked some others.
Whereas all-encompassing education is one of the basic tenets of Islam (Qur’an 96:1-5), Boko Haram forbids Western education. Whereas the Prophet (SAW) in the hadith commands education for all, Boko Haram seeks to alienate women from education. Again, whereas the Prophet (SAW) honoured the girl-child and commanded his followers to do same, Boko Haram kidnaps and enslaves young and innocent girls thereby exposing them to wild life and subjecting them to unimaginable psychological trauma.

Boko Haram’s declaration is a statement of secession. It must not be allowed. Gwoza must be liberated within days. Boko Haram or no Boko Haram, we cannot compromise the territorial integrity of Nigeria to anyone, no matter how barbaric.
We also charge the Nigerian Armed Forces to be more focused from this moment. Boko Haram must be flushed out with microscopic accuracy from all the villages occupied in Borno State. But there is a caveat: it must be done professionally so that innocent civilians do not fall victims.
MURIC calls attention to the declaration of the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in which they outlawed Boko Haram and declared its practices outrageous and unacceptable in Islam.
From its latest statement, it is clear that Boko Haram is emulating the Islamic State in Iraq (ISIS) which declared a phantom caliphate a few months ago. It is didactic that world Muslim bodies have also rejected ISIS because of its unIslamic practices and its open and inhuman hostility towards its Christian population.

Gwoza Caliphate is definitely not the caliphate which we desire. Unlike that of ISIS and Boko Haram, the caliphate of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) which he established in Madinah was based on justice, love and peaceful coexistence.
MURIC therefore rejects Boko Haram’s caliphate. It is a mirage. It exists only in the figment of Shekau’s imagination. Like a good surgeon who will not hesitate to amputate a rotten limb from a patient’s anatomy, MURIC urges President Jonathan to immediately don the garb of a good surgeon.

Finally, we assure all Nigerians that Muslims want to live in peace and tranquility with their Christian neighbours and their traditionalist brothers and sisters in one and indivisible Nigeria. We have come a long way together so we will not emulate butchers of men. Islam strengthens humanity. It does not debase it.
Neither shall we listen to those who ask us to kill people of Western origin in our midst. We affirm that Islam is a universal religion. It does not hate on the basis of race, colour or sex. We therefore assure all foreigners in the country that they have nothing to fear from mainstream Muslims. We appreciate their presence in our midst and we will continue to honour them as our Prophet (SAW) commanded us to do.

...................................................................................................................................................................

UPDATE

News: “Boko Haram will continue to kill” – Full text of Shekau’s speech declaring caliphate in Northern Nigeria

On Sunday, a video obtained by news agency, AFP showed Boko Haram’s leader, Abubakar Shekau declaring that he has created an Islamic caliphate in Gwoza, Borno State in Northeast Nigeria.
Shekau in the 52-minute video, said the town was now under his control and that it had “nothing to do with Nigeria.”
But the Nigeria Military swiftly responded, saying the claim was empty and that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Nigerian state was still intact.
“Any group of terrorists laying claim to any portion of the country will not be allowed to get away with the expression of delusion and crime,” it said.
“Appropriate military operations to secure that area from the activities of the bandits is still ongoing.”
Read below the full text of Shekau’s statement in the latest video.
“We are grateful to Allah for the big victory he granted our members in Gwoza and made the town part of our Islamic Caliphate.
“Oh you people, here I am Abubakar Shekau, still standing on my feet. I am still the leader of Jama’atu Ahlissunnah Lid Da’awati wal Jihad, that county called Nigeria; a name we don’t believe; but forced to address as such because it has no better name.
“For us there is nothing like Nigeria but Islamic Caliphate; because God the creator of the world and the earth we are all standing is the sole owner of the earth and no one else. So we have no option but obey the owner of the sky that is above us, even as He is the owner of the earth. We Muslims obey our Creator.
“Oh people of the world, Allah has granted us victory in the town of Gwoza, not because of our might but because we are committed to do His work. Oh people, I chose to deliver this message in order to refute the lies being spread by the government, about the operations we had in recent times.

“We warn the Vigilante, called Civilian JTF to back out. If not, there will be no place for them to hide. We have evidences of how you killed some of our brethren whom you would ask if they are Boko Haram before you kill them.We know how you humiliated them by asking them if they had ever carried guns or killed someone; we know everything about the evil you committed against our brethren.
“We still have the magnanimity of asking you to repent; because you will never succeed in this way by the grace of Allah and I swear by Allah that we will never stop killing you because Allah commanded us to kill people like you. If we pity you and spare you, one day you will become infidels, so to us having pity on you is an act of disbelief. You can continue to run or hide your identities in women’s attire, but we will get to you and remove the women clothing off you. Then while you are shouting for mercy, we will strike, smash your heads and kill you all.
“Even if you don’t do anything to us we will kill you. We would do it even to avenge our brethren. You killed our brethren in large numbers. We don’t joke with religion. (Quoting from the Koran) – “There is no hypocrisy in this religion. It is only the truth.” Therefore, woe on to you, vigilante. Woe on to you. It is Allah that torments you and even tomorrow Allah will torment you. By Allah you will never achieve your aim. I swear by Allah.
“To the Americans: who is America in the sight of Allah? Who is America in the sight of Allah? Who is Israel in the sight of Allah? Who is France in the sight of Allah? It is only when we don’t have firm belief. We don’t fear you at all. We are the ones who carried out all these attacks. Not just Gwoza but all the attacks you see in Borno (state) or any part of the country. We are the ones carrying them out.
“This is the life for us; it is our world and we are living it out. How can one fear these American people if one is indeed a believer? One needs not to. This is the speech I have to make which is a warning for worse things to come. Better submit to Allah before it becomes too late.”
Watch the new vid.below.

...................................................................................................................................................................

Boko Haram's leader has declared an Islamic caliphate in a northeast Nigeria town seized by the extremist militants earlier this month.

Abubakar Shekau, the terrorist behind the kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls four months ago, made the statement during a video which shows a group of prisoners being shot with assault rifles as they lie in a ditch.  

He declared that Gwoza, in Borno State, now has 'nothing to do with Nigeria' and said 'by the grace of Allah' they will not be leaving the town. 

'Thanks be to Allah who gave victory to our brethren in (the town of) Gwoza and made it part of the Islamic caliphate,' he claims during the 52-minute video.  

'By the grace of Allah we will not leave the town. We have come to stay,' said Shekau, who has been designated a global terrorist by the United States and sanctioned by the UN Security Council.

The United Nations humanitarian office (OCHA) earlier this month confirmed reports that Gwoza was under rebel control.

Boko Haram is also believed to be in control of other areas near the seized town in southern Borno, as well as large swathes of territory in the north of the region and at least one town in neighbouring Yobe state.

Mapping the precise areas which have fallen into Islamist hands is nearly impossible.

There are few humanitarian workers on the ground in the northeast, travel is dangerous and the region, which has been under a state of emergency since May of last year, has poor mobile phone coverage.

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.

But many analysts believe the military has the capacity to reverse the insurgents' advance.

Soldiers this week refused to deploy to Gwoza without better weapons in an apparent mutiny.
Watch the vid.below.