Why we attacked Baga –Boko Haram

Al-Urwa al-Wuthqa Foundation, which identifies itself as the official mouth­piece for “Jama’at Ahl al-Sunnah Lil Dawa Wal Jihad,” (Boko Haram) has released an interview with an individual it identified as the group’s spokesman re­garding the attack in Baga.

Spokesman Abu Musab Abul-Barnawi, has in a video clip said the reason Baga was seized by his group after re­peated attacks was for strate­gic economic reasons. “First, this city is located in the northeast of Nigeria, in the vicinity of Lake Chad. It is important from both the trade and military aspects for the Nigerian government.
“As for its military impor­tance to the Nigerian govern­ment, it has an alliance with the countries of Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. It is an al­liance against our project to establish a State of Shariah, and it is an alliance to control Lake Chad, which is consid­ered the most important eco­nomic resource in the region.
“As for us, its importance lies in removing this military gathering from the lands of the Islamic State, and thus, to establish the Shariah of Allah in this area, and provide secu­rity and safety for the Mus­lims in it.
“It is known that if these military gatherings enter an area they will corrupt it and oppression will prevail in it. By the grace of Allah alone, we were able to open this city and to include it with the cit­ies of the Islamic State in Af­rica. The land is for Allah and he will bequeath it to whom­ever he wills from among his worshippers, and the good end is for the pious. Allah knows better,” the spokesman said.
Abul-Barnawi said the media distorted the name of his group. “Our call is not limited to prohibiting foreign schools and democracy. We are Jama’at Ahl al-Sunnah Lil Dawa wal Jihad. Therefore, this name(Boko Haram) is an attempt to bury the truth. We carry out the support for the Sunnah and establish gover­nance of Allah in the land.
Meanwhile, Amnesty In­ternational yesterday claimed that Nigeria’s military top brass were warned of brutal Boko Haram attacks on the northeast towns of Baga and Monguno but failed to take action.
The January 3 onslaught against Baga is feared to have killed hundreds, if not more, and destroyed thousands of homes, while the takeover of Monguno last weekend was seen as a major setback for the security forces.
Amnesty said it received information from senior mili­tary officers and other sources indicating that defence of­ficials were told about Boko Haram’s plans to attack both towns but did not act on requests to send reinforce­ments.
“It is clear from this evi­dence that Nigeria’s military leadership woefully and re­peatedly failed in their duty to protect civilians of Baga and Monguno despite repeated warnings about an impend­ing threat posed by Boko Ha­ram,” said Amnesty’s Africa Director Netsanet Belay.
On Baga, Amnesty said troops in the town in extreme north of Borno state reported a build-up of insurgent fight­ers in the area before the at­tack.
The Islamist rebels also warned civilians about an impending strike and several hundred residents fled, the group added, citing military and local sources.