KATSINA: We’re not negotiating with govt — Shekau denies Masari’s claim

FACTIONAL leader of Boko Haram terror group, Abubakar Shekau, has denied entering into negotiations with the government in a bid to release the Kankara schoolboys in his group’s custody.

The violent religious sect has claimed responsibility for the Friday abduction of over 300 stidents from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State

Shekau, stated this in a recording released on Tuesday morning and obtained by HumAngle.

Like in the case of the abduction of the over 200 Chibok schoolgirls in 2014, Shekau in his latest recording said the dastardly act was done in order to discourage people from obtaining western education.

“What happened in Katsina was done to promote Islam and discourage un-Islamic practices as Western education is not the type of education permitted by Allah and his Holy Prophet,” he said.

He added, “They are also not teaching what Allah and his Holy Prophet commanded. They are rather destroying Islam. It may be subtle, but Allah the Lord of the skies and earths knows whatever is hidden. May Allah promote Islam. May we die as Muslims. In a nutshell, we are behind what happened in Katsina.”

Katsina State, which is where the President Buhari hails from, has seen an increase in abductions and violence in the last one year with the governor, Bello Masari, lamenting repeatedly that things had gone beyond his control.

The violence has always been attributed to bandits.

 But there are reports that the bandits actually carried out the abduction but eventually sold them to Shekau’s Boko Haram after favourable negotiations.

The President who is currently in his hometown in Daura, Katsina State, for a short visit,came under fire on Sunday for failing to visit the school and the town where the incident occurred.

Governor Masari said yesterday that the abductors had contacted him and they had started negotiations.

He, however, didn’t disclose the identity of the abductors.