A new twist to the Boko
Haram saga emerged
yesterday night as an
unidentified caller claiming
to be the spokesman of
the sect, Abul Qaqa, who
was said to be in the
custody of a security
agency, insisted that he
was not the one
arrested, but rather a
junior officer sent to
prepare the ground for
dialogue with
government.
According to the sect’s
spokesman, who spoke
with newsmen in a
teleconference in
Maiduguri, Abu Dardaa,
another official of the
sect, went to arrange a
meeting with the federal
government in Kaduna
but that government
‘cheated’ and captured
him.
He said: “We want to
react on what security
agents said in respect of
the arrest of one of our
own. The person that
was arrested was Abu
Dardaa, and not Abu
Qaqa. I am Abul Qaqa, the
spokesman of the
Jama’atu Ahlis Sunnati
Lidda’awati Wal Jihad.
Abul Dardaa is the head
of the Lagina
(Department) of public
enlightenment and not the
spokesman.
“The arrest of Abu
Dardaa is an outright
deception and betrayal
by the Nigerian
government and security
agents. They proclaimed
dialogue and are doing
the opposite.
His arrest has proven to
us that they were waiting
for us to avail ourselves
so that they can arrest
us.
“We purposely sent Abul
Dardaa to Kaduna to
discuss with some key
government functionaries
on the issue of dialogue.
Indeed, he had started
talking to them but,
unknown to him, they
directed some security
agents to trail him and
arrest him. This was
exactly what happened.”
“We initially thought that
the much talked-about
dialogue was true and we
actually resolved that
after the initial meeting
with Dardaa, we would
send five
representatives to stand
for us. Part of what we
told him to discuss with
the government
representatives was the
unconditional release of
our members as pre-
condition for any further
discussion. I want to
reiterate that we want all
our members to be
released for peace to
return and for dialogue
to hold.”
However, reliable
sources informed
LEADERSHIP that the voice
in the interview with the
sect’s purported
spokesperson was not
Abul Qaqa’s.
Haram saga emerged
yesterday night as an
unidentified caller claiming
to be the spokesman of
the sect, Abul Qaqa, who
was said to be in the
custody of a security
agency, insisted that he
was not the one
arrested, but rather a
junior officer sent to
prepare the ground for
dialogue with
government.
According to the sect’s
spokesman, who spoke
with newsmen in a
teleconference in
Maiduguri, Abu Dardaa,
another official of the
sect, went to arrange a
meeting with the federal
government in Kaduna
but that government
‘cheated’ and captured
him.
He said: “We want to
react on what security
agents said in respect of
the arrest of one of our
own. The person that
was arrested was Abu
Dardaa, and not Abu
Qaqa. I am Abul Qaqa, the
spokesman of the
Jama’atu Ahlis Sunnati
Lidda’awati Wal Jihad.
Abul Dardaa is the head
of the Lagina
(Department) of public
enlightenment and not the
spokesman.
“The arrest of Abu
Dardaa is an outright
deception and betrayal
by the Nigerian
government and security
agents. They proclaimed
dialogue and are doing
the opposite.
His arrest has proven to
us that they were waiting
for us to avail ourselves
so that they can arrest
us.
“We purposely sent Abul
Dardaa to Kaduna to
discuss with some key
government functionaries
on the issue of dialogue.
Indeed, he had started
talking to them but,
unknown to him, they
directed some security
agents to trail him and
arrest him. This was
exactly what happened.”
“We initially thought that
the much talked-about
dialogue was true and we
actually resolved that
after the initial meeting
with Dardaa, we would
send five
representatives to stand
for us. Part of what we
told him to discuss with
the government
representatives was the
unconditional release of
our members as pre-
condition for any further
discussion. I want to
reiterate that we want all
our members to be
released for peace to
return and for dialogue
to hold.”
However, reliable
sources informed
LEADERSHIP that the voice
in the interview with the
sect’s purported
spokesperson was not
Abul Qaqa’s.
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