PHOTOSPEAKS

New Christian Extremist Group Akhwat Akwop Threatens Boko Haram

Published

13 years ago

September 29, 2011

The new Christian terror group in the North, Akhwat Akwop, which was apparently formed to checkmate the activities of the extremist Muslim Boko Haram sect has asked nationals of five Islamic countries suspected to be funding the Boko Haram to leave the country.

Akhwat Akwop alleged that the Islamic republics of Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Mauritania and Sudan had been funding the terrorist activities of Boko Haram, warning that its members would attack the nationals of the five countries and their interests.

The group made its position known in a statement issued, yesterday, and made available to various media houses in Lagos, Abuja and Kaduna.

The group, which sounded a wake-up call on all Christians over the current activities of Boko Haram, said the violence being unleashed on the country was to intimidate President Goodluck Jonathan and other Nigerians to enable the Hausa/Fulani seize power in 2015.

Akhwat Akwop, however, said that political power must return to the old Eastern Region after Jonathan in 2015.

It further stated that it does not recognise any Muslim traditional ruler in any way or form in any part of the North, warning that for peace and harmony in the North in particular and Nigeria in general to be maintained, the Hausa/Fulani who settled in the various minority tribes in the North must stop oppressing their hosts in those areas.

Akhwat Akwop came into security consciousness about two months ago when it dropped leaflets in some parts of the north, including Benue, Taraba, Yobe, Borno, Bauchi, Adamawa, Plateau, Kogi, Nasarawa and Kaduna states, warning that it would do everything possible to liberate northern minorities from the strangle-hold of the Hausa/Fulani who, it stated, had been lording it over them and causing havoc in Nigeria in the name of Islam.

In Kaduna State, large quantities of the leaflets were left at the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Press Centre by unknown persons.

The leaflets, entitled Warning to Boko Haram, claimed that Akhwat Akwop stood for the Christian equivalent of Boko Haram, adding that it would be in the forefront of the struggle for the emancipation of northern minorities, whether Christians or Muslims.