B’Haram parades captured town, preaches to residents

CREDITS: PUNCH

The Boko Haram sect on Sunday released a new video which showed the insurgents parading an unnamed captured town on an armoured tank.

The Boko Haram video, obtained by the AFP, also showed the group’s leader Abubakar Shekau preaching to residents of the captured town.

It was not possible to tell whether the footage was staged for propaganda purposes, especially scenes of residents cheering Islamist fighters.

The message appeared to be aimed at reinforcing Shekau’s claim that he has created a caliphate within Nigeria.

In the 44-minute video, AFP reports that Boko Haram voices support for other so-called caliphates, including the one proclaimed in Iraq and Syria by the Islamic State (IS) group.

Shekau, who is pictured in closeup shots with rare clarity, again dismisses government claims about ceasefire talks.

The video, which was delivered through the same channels as past messages, shows armed men lined along a well-paved road, with three pick-up trucks bristling with heavy weapons also visible.

Black, crested flags associated with the Islamist group are also shown.

Later, an armoured vehicle rolls down the road lined with both fighters and individuals who appear to be residents of the town.

Click on  ...Punch for more.