The radical
Islamic sect, Boko Haram on Friday denied any
involvement in the kidnap of the two foreign
nationals that were killed during a botched rescue
mission in Sokoto state.
A man identified as the spokesman of the group,
Abul Qaqa Boko told reporters in a conference call
on that the fundamentalist sect does not engage in
hostage taking and demand for ransom.
“We have never been involved in hostage-taking
and it’s not part of our style, and we never ask for
ransom” he said, adding that “we are not behind
the hostage taking … which led to the military
operation yesterday in Sokoto in which the
hostages were killed”.
British engineer, Chris McManus, 28 and his
Italian colleague, Francesco Molinara, 48, were
shot dead by their captors in Sokoto during a
rescue operation led by British Special Boat
Services and Nigerian military troops in a bid to
free them.
The group that has staged numerous violent
attacks across northern Nigeria stated that “we
know how to settle our scores with anybody.
Therefore the allegation that the kidnappers were
members of our group is ridiculous.”
“Nigeria’s government had better get its facts
straight and find the true identity of the
kidnappers” Qaqa added.
“They should not use us to mask their
incompetence.”
Posted by Channels Television on March 9, 2012.