‘Sect started in Egypt not Nigeria,’ Ex-Yobe governor says

monjola sotubo

August 10, 2015 3:37 PM

Ibrahim, who is now a Senator representing the Yobe-East Senatorial District, also said that the sect was formed decades ago and not in 2009.

Abubakar Shekau in the middle, with other lieutenants.

A former Yobe State Governor, Bukar Abba Ibrahim has said that terrorist sect, Boko Haram originated from Egypt and not Nigeria as widely believed.

The Senator made the comments on Saturday, August 8, 2015, while speaking to journalists in Abuja.

Ibrahim said:

“The History of Boko Haram dates back to 10, 15, and even 20 years or more ago. This thing didn’t start six years ago as largely claimed. It started earlier. Boko Haram is a philosophy driven by warped religious ideology. It is strictly an ideology on ground in some parts of the world for quite sometimes now.”

“It all started during the reign of Gammal Abdel Naseer in Egypt who died in 1970. Naseer beheaded the leader of the Boko Haram Islamic sect in Egypt in 1970. It was this action of Naseer that made the followers spread to other parts of Africa, especially northern and western parts of Africa, including Nigeria.”

“It has nothing to do with being employed by politicians or being used as political thugs. The issue of youths’ unemployment worsened it, with unemployed youths serving as large army of recruitment for the insurgents.”

Boko Haram came to prominence in 2010 after it intensified attacks in Nigeria’s North-East.

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