Islamist group Boko Haram vows to 'continue violence' until Nigeria establishes sharia law

Abuja (Nigeria), Jan 28 (ANI): Nigeria's Islamist group Boko Haram, which has killed almost 1,000 people in the country, has vowed to continue its campaign of violence until the nation reverts to sharia law.

"We will consider negotiation only when we have brought the government to their knees," The Guardian quoted the group's spokesman, Abu Qaqa, as saying.

"Once we see that things are being done according to the dictates of Allah, and our members are released [from prison], we will only put aside our arms, but we will not lay them down. You don't put down your arms in Islam, you only put them aside," he added.

The interview comes a week after Boko Haram claimed responsibility for Nigeria's single deadliest terrorist attack, which killed 186 people in the northern city of Kano.

In an audio message posted on YouTube on Friday, the group's current leader, Abubakar Shekau, threatened to bomb schools and kidnap family members of government officials.

Qaqa, whose name is a pseudonym, said the rights of the country's 70 million Christians, who represent half of Nigeria's population, "would be protected" under the group's envisioned Islamic state.

"Even the prophet Mohammed lived with non-Muslims and he gave them their dues," he said, adding "everyone must abide by sharia law."

"There are no exceptions. Even if you are a Muslim and you don't abide by sharia, we will kill you. Even if you are my own father, we will kill you," the paper quoted Qaqa, as saying.

Qaqa also said that it is the secular state that is responsible for the woes people are seeing today.

"People should understand that we are not saying we have to rule Nigeria, but we have been motivated by the stark injustice in the land. People underrate us but we have our sights set on [bringing sharia to] the whole world, not just Nigeria," he added. (ANI)