THE Boko Haram sect has given reasons for its weekend attacks,
which led to the killing of about 162 people in Kano State, saying it was to
avenge the persecution of its members.Spokesman of the group, Abul Qaqa, made
this known in a telephone interview with newsmen in Maiduguri,
yesterday.Claiming responsibility for the attacks and multiple bombings on
police stations, State Security Services, SSS, and passport office buildings in
Kano metropolis, Qaga said: “Last night’s (Friday) attacks and bombings of Kano
city followed our warnings in the second week of December, 2011.”‘We warned
Kano stakeholders’Besides, Qaqa also referred reporters to an e-mail message in
which Imam Muhammad Abubakar Shekau, Spiritual Head of the sect, threatened
that: “Unless urgent steps are taken, the group will launch endless and violent
attacks on Kano and its environs because of arbitrary arrest and persecution of
his members.”Vanguard learnt that in the said e-mail, Shekau said the group had
written an open letter to the people of Kano, including the Emir of Kano,
Alhaji Ado Bayero; Governor Musa Kwankwaso, Alhaji Aminu Dantata and Khalifa
Sheikh Isiaka Rabiu on recent happenings in the ancient city.Shekau revealed that but for the intervention of some prominent scholars
in Kano, his group would have made the city ungovernable a long time
ago.Alleges persecution Qaqa said: “The message here is that everybody knows
that a lot of our people were killed in Kano State, especially in Wudil town.
We had perfected plans to take revenge but some notable scholars intervened by
pleading with us.“They also assured that our members would nevear be persecuted
again and we took them by their words. Unfortunately, however, about five
months ago, security agencies began trailing and arresting our members who are
carrying out their legitimate businesses, alleging that they are all thieves
and armed robbers.“Again, we perfected plans to attack the city of Kano but the
scholars pleaded that we should not. They advised that we should write a formal
letter of complaint to some notable people. We agreed and sent letters to the
Emir of Kano, Wamban Kano, Dan Masanin Kano and the governor of Kano State.“We
also posted the open letter on the internet, but nothing was done to stop the
persecution of our members.“Recently, security agencies launched a fresh
onslaught on some of our members in Kano city in which even women and children
were not spared. Many houses were raided and a pregnant woman was
manhandled.‘We respected Kano’“Some of our members were tortured with electric
shock. All these things happened in Kano, a city that we hold in high
esteem.“We have varied opinions about Kano, including the option of launching
endless campaign of violence, but the scholars that have been talking to us are
still persuading us to tarry a while.“We are compelled to write this open
letter so that the world will know what is happening
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