Boko Haram warns Christians in Northern Nigeria to relocate in three days

The notorious Boko Haram sect has threatened to attack members of the armed forces deployed to enforce emergency rule in select local government areas in four states even as it issued a three–day ultimatum to Christians in Northern Nigeria to leave or risk being killed.

Abdul Qaqa, spokesman of the sect who issued the threat also advised Muslims living in other parts of the country to immediately relocate to Northern Nigeria. Qaqa who spoke in Hausa language said the sect has intelligence report that the Muslims would be attacked.

Insisting that the emergency rule would not deter them, Qaqa expressed concern that innocent Muslims living in the areas affected by emergency rule would be cut down by the armed soldiers enforcing the crack down on the militants.

"We find it pertinent to state that soldiers will only kill innocent Muslims in the local government areas where the state of emergency was declared. We would confront them squarely to protect our brothers. We also wish to call on our fellow Muslims to come back to the north because we have evidence that they would be attacked. We are also giving a three-day ultimatum to the southerners living in the northern part of Nigeria to move away”, he said.

Qaqa also accused President Jonathan of bias against Muslims by visiting St Theresa Catholic Church hit by the Christmas Day bomb blast. He lamented Jonathan had never paid a similar condolence visit to any of the Mosques destroyed during crisis.

Boko Haram believed to include different factions with varying aims, had claimed responsibility for the spate of bombings in the country, peaking with the Christmas Day bombing of some churches in Madalla, Niger State. Death toll arising from the dastardly act has reportedly risen to 43.

In his response to the incident, President Jonathan after serial talks with security chiefs on Saturday imposed selective emergency rule in parts of four states namely Borno, Yobe, Plateau and Niger states. These states have been the most vulnerable to sect suggesting that they might their base in the affected areas.

Meanwhile members of the Joint Military patrol deployed to enforce the emergency rule in the affected areas were reported to have embarked on house-to-house search for Boko Haram bombs in Maiduguri, Borno State. The military team, apparently acting on tip off decided to adopt the

measure to track down members of the notorious sect who often use innocent people as human shield when endangered.

January 04, 2012