- The new video shows thousands of members praying in two locations, one a massive Mosque and the other outside
The 12 minutes, 58 seconds video shows a crowd of Boko Haram members heading to a prayer ground for Eid prayers.
The Imam who led the prayers was identified as the assistant to the group’s known leader, Abubakar Shekau. His name was not mentioned.
Although Shekau did not feature in the video, the narrator made it clear the faction was loyal to Shekau. A separate faction of the sect has since earlier this year been led by Abu Musab al-Barnawi, son of a former founder of the group, Mohammed Yusuf.
The new video shows two different Eid prayer sessions at the same time. While a group was praying inside a mosque, another was praying in a different location outside a mosque. Each group had a different imam or prayer leader.
After a sermon in Arabic, which lasted less than a minute, the imam of the group inside the mosque delivered a rant in Hausa.
Below is the transcription.
“Brothers, this is our Eid for the year 1437 AH (2016) under the leadership of our leader, Abu Muhammad Abubakar Ibn Mohammad Ashakawi (Shekau).
“We extend our greetings to our people and fighters all over the world; and to our leader, the leader of Jama’atu ahlus-sunnah lidda await wal jihad Imam Abubakar Shekau.
“We pray that Allah should keep us together under this umbrella and cause.
“May Allah guide us to follow the teachings of prophet Muhammad (SAW). May Allah make us triumph over all the infidels of this world. May Allah protect our leader, mallams, wives and everybody all together.
“Our message to the infidels who are fighting us; especially their leader, the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, is that he should know that we are still in this religion. And like they keep saying that they have defeated us; it is indeed not true, because we are in good health and succeeding in our cause. We are very strong and doing very well.
“Buhari is saying that he will finish us. Let him know that before he said so, other infidels said so before now and they couldn’t.
“So this infidel by the name Buhari saying that he will finish us, he should know that by the grace of Allah, he cannot finish us. Rather, he will die, he will die, he will die.
“Our leader who is leading us on this, Imam Jamatu ahlus Sunnah lidda awat (Shekau), may Allah continue to protect him for us.
“By the will of Allah, under the leadership of our leader (Shekau), we will capture Buhari with our hands.”
The congregation now disperses from the mosque chanting Allah Akbar. The Imam steps out from the mosque for a photo shoot behind the group’s flag and says:
“My last message is to you Buratai (Tukur, Nigeria’s Army Chief), Kukasheka (Sani, spokesperson of Nigerian Army) and the rest of the infidels.
“You should know that this is a brand new video which we recorded today the 12th of September 2016, using the infidel’s calendar.
“It is a new video, not an old one. It is a brand new video; (we hear) you are saying you will finish us with your fighter jets.
“By the grace of God, you will see what we will do to you.
“Under the leadership of our leader, Shekau, we will step further henceforth and will destroy what we never destroyed before.
“We are ready and even stronger now. We will go to where we never were before now and destroy what we never destroyed before now.
“You infidels, you are finished now. You all want to live and enjoy life; but this time around, we are well prepared to die. (Chants of “Allah Akbar”).
“No retreat, no surrender by the grace of God! No retreat, no Surrender by the grace of God! No retreat, no surrender by the grace of God!
“We shall cut off your heads with our swords and guns (removing his sword from the sheath).
“Allah is going to help us. And you shall see how he is going to do that soon. (Chants of “Allahu Akbar”).
The video then showed a mini horse race by some Boko Haram fighters to entertain the scores of members who were chanting “Allah Akbar”.
