‘We Kidnapped Schoolboys To Promote Islam’ – Boko Haram Claims Responsibility For Katsina School Attack

Contrary to claims that bandits were behind the abduction of over 300 schoolboys from the Government Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, Boko Haram terrorists have reportedly claimed responsibility for the abductions.

The federal and Katsina state governments had often used “bandits” and “gunmen” to describe those behind the school attack that took place last Friday, but the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists are said to have claimed responsibility for the abductions.

The Islamist terrorist group had similarly claimed responsibility for the abduction of 276 mostly Christian female students from a Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, on April 14, 2014.

On February 19, 2018, about 110 schoolgirls were also kidnapped from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State. The insurgents claimed responsibility for it.

According to DailyNigerian, the terrorist group released an audio recording where they claimed responsibility for the Kankara schoolboys’ abduction, basing their action on the need to “promote Islam and discourage un-Islamic practices”.

The report said the voice behind the audio message identified himself as Abubakar Shekau, “leader of Jama’atu Ahlussunna Lid-Da’awati wal Jihad”, popularity known as Boko Haram.

The Boko Haram leader was quoted as saying, “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.

“They are also not teaching what Allah and his Holy Prophet commanded. They are rather destructing the Islam. It may be subtly, 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,” he said.