New Boko Haram leader, Musab Al-Barnawi, Friday released a long audio tape in which he accused Shekau of massive corruption and unjustifiable killings of Muslims.
Al-Barnawi, who claimed to be a founding member of the bloody group, alleged that Shekau favoured only himself and his family.
He lamented that Shekau had been busy killing Muslims instead of seeking ways to attack churches and security formations.
He accused Shekau of abandoning the path set by the group’s founder, Mohammed Yusuf.
The new leader recalled that before he was captured and murdered in 2009, Yusuf usually subjected his Friday sermons to vetting by his top aides.
He challenged Shekau to confront his faction and risk his life.
He, however, said if Shekau repents, he will be accepted back in the fold.
Al-Barnawi’S audio tape reads in part, “[Shekau] was boasting that if we attempt to escape from his empire, his men will kill us. He is a liar.
“I am not the only one that left, but eight of us left, all kitchen cabinet members. And right now two other top members are on the way to join us.
“We are all here. The issue of Islam is not personal, there is no sentiment in Islam, and that is why we are here.
“Nobody can dare us or stop us from it, no matter how he brags. Here we are on our own. Can’t you see how we left your empire?
“We left women and everything and just left with guns on our shoulders. We would have crushed anyone that stood on our way.
“We said we would not touch anyone but just go on our way to our religion. We will fight for the cause of Allah and work against personalising Jihad and against unjustifiable killings and shedding of blood.
“We are out because you came out with your own cassette. We want our people to know proper Islam because Allah in the Quran forbids killings without justification.
“Just like Allah gave us power to kill infidels, there are those he said we shouldn’t kill without reason.
“In the Quran, Allah forbade Muslims from killing one another…and he also taught against killing in secret. If it is serious punishment, it must be public for people to know and witness it.
“But once you see killings in secret, there is something fishy and this is what we noticed with Shekau. What he is doing is not Islam.
“He said we should follow him and we agreed, but we later realized it is another thing and we said no. We have to stick to the Quran and what Allah said, not [follow] someone’s waywardness.
“We have vowed to say the truth. If we will be killed, let us be killed. If we will be eaten, let us be eaten up and if we will be roasted, let us be roasted.
“We will not leave our fellow brothers in the dark; this message of mine will get to Sambisa Forest. It will get into Shekau’s house. We have agents that will convey the message no matter how he dislikes it.
“Almighty Allah is against killings of Muslims. Allah is saying better heaven and earth fall than innocent soul of a Muslim, but you have Shekau who likes killing our own people.
“He is always boasting that he will kill, he will kill. Okay, continue to kill, you will also be killed. Who will dwell here forever? Everybody will die. You will also die some day.
“And there is no one that will die without reaching his day of death. You can see we are here alive, all of us here sitting. Anyone that Allah did not kill you cannot kill him. The same way, you cannot stop anyone Allah willed his death.
“That is why when someone boasts to kill a man, the man asks him, ‘Why are you in a haste?’ The man says, ‘If my time has come, you will not stop me from going.’ There are several verses that forbid killing of a fellow Muslim unjustifiably.
“Our vow that we will practice Islam is real. That is why we left our parents, homes, our cars and everything and came to this forest. How can we then agree to see you bringing strange ideologies?
“In one of our Shura meetings, someone asked Shekau how he felt about Muslims running away from their own land to the land of the infidels for their own safety.
“Shekau said [the Muslims] are also infidels and should be killed like the infidels. These people are not infidels, they are Muslims running for their lives, and he insisted that they are infidels and should be killed.
“Shekau is ignorant of the fact that it is forbidden for a Muslim to be killed after being chased out of Islamic Caliphate to a strange land and [when the Muslim] has not taken part in any conspiracy against Muslims.
“[Shekau] is ignorant and needs to be taught the rudiments of Islam. Islam is not his creation. Only Allah defines who is a Muslim and who is an infidel.
“Even if you travel to a foreign land, you have no jurisdiction to say who is who until you have a basis. Anywhere you go you can’t say who is who. You can’t kill and take away people’s properties.
“We fled from him with our religion for good. It is there in the books, when you are not allowed to do Islam you have the liberty to flee and follow what you know is right.
“Shekau, we did not touch you, don’t touch us. If you touch us we will touch you and we are many against you. We have people in your house and even your present hideout.
“You don’t know us enough; we are ready for anyone to kill us, even if it is infidels, for so long as we will make heaven and be before Allah. That is why we are countering the false ideology you are spreading.
“[Shekau] said he is looking for our information. We also have your information and we are close to you. What kind of thing is this? There were states we captured as part of the Islamic Caliphate and you allowed men to be looting property.
“We told you and you did not take action. We don’t know this brand of Jihad; you kill children, women and bomb people. We should be looking for infidels and not our own people. How can we be killing people in the mosques when there are churches, barracks?
“It is nonsense and Allah will ask you [about it] if you don’t repent. Another thing is, [Shekau] is interpreting verses with his own opinions and the cassettes are being spread. Stop interpreting the Quran with your own opinion. We who lived with [Shekau] knew his conduct.
What is not in the Hadith, he will insist that it is there. Kai, Imam, all these interpretations are your own creation. Please go and seek education and knowledge from those that know.
“Nobody should believe him. People should see understanding and not depend on his lies.
“Haba Imam, have you forgotten our past? Is this how we started? You forgot your days in our learning place with your two items of clothing, learning under the tree? And today you are arrogant and killing your own people because you have now got an empire?
“You forgot how you rushed to pass a verdict over the case of a man over sheep? And you rushed a judgment that saw the man’s hand amputated. The same thing happened in Bama.
“Five of us were sitting, and the issue came up of some fighters who married slaves. He quickly said they should be killed. The killings spread to eleven persons. Later on, the allegation turned out to be false.
“Some fighters murmured and said there would be no peace with his injustices. And all these are not part of Islam.
“People complained of several acts, but because [Shekau] was enjoying power he refused to take action. Who killed the Malam in Banki? Is it not you that killed him? The same thing happened to a man you brought inside and killed.
“You forgot one day I told you that your wives are not aware that their husbands are alive. You dismissed me with a wave of hand. And you said their husbands should be killed.
“Is it not you that killed them? Are you not the one that killed Malam Abdulmalik? He is popularly known as Baba Abdulmalik, and you killed him.
“And you are killing them secretly when, in Islam, there is nothing like secret killings even of an infidel. Even if it is Buhari that comes to you following an agreement, if you killed him, it is not Islam.
“Even if it is an infidel, if you killed him it is not Islam. If you are afraid of their treaty, tell them we are enemies, instead of drawing people close tokill them.
“Where did you see the judgment of Allah secretly done? And you said you are following Allah. Is it the Prophet that said this? This is not Islam, Shekau.
“You killed Ameer Falluja because he was close to Abdulmalik. When he entered, he never came out. The same way, you killedBagomna because he bought a house in Amchide.
“If someone bought a house, is that a reason to kill him? With your hand you killed him. Bagomna came on a bike, and you just killed him. When we asked you why you said since he went to war he did not return.
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