JUST IN : Boko Haram claims responsibility for abduction of Kankara school boys

The Boko Haram terrorists have claimed responsibility for the abduction of hundreds of schoolboys of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in Katsina State.

In a 4:30 audio message sent to DAILY NIGERIAN on Tuesday morning, the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, said his group abducted the schoolboys because Western education is against the tenets of Islam.

“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 Islam. It may be subtly, but Allah the Lord of the Skies and Earths knows whatever is hidden. May Allah promotes Islam, may we die as Muslims.”

“In a nutshell, we are behind what happened in Katsina,” he said.

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The terrorists’ leader ended the message by saying: “The speaker is Abubakar Shekau, leader of Jama’atu Ahlussunna Lid-Da’awati wal Jihad.”

Solacebase reports that according to the school record 839 students were in the boarding house; and as at the time they were abducted, shortly after that, some came back and it was about five hundred plus that did not return,

However, the state governor, Aminu Bello Masari said after a headcount, 333 students are still missing.

Even before Mr Shekau released the audio, Bulama Bukarti, an analyst at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change told London Telegraph that there were Boko Haram footprints in the abduction.

Solacebase reports that Mr Bulama, in the interview said the Boko Haram leader has been trying to establish operations in the region west of Katsina State.

He said several hundred fighters in Zamfara State recently claimed to be operating a Boko Haram cell that is loyal to Abubakar  Shekau.

He added that a similar number of fighters were also recorded claiming allegiance to Mr Shekau in Niger State.