By Seyi Lawal

Abul Qaqa, the alleged spokesman for Islamist group, Boko Haram, has issued a three-day ultimatum to Christians in the country’s north to leave and threatened to confront troops after the president declared a state of emergency in hard hit areas.

 “We find it pertinent to state that soldiers will only kill innocent Muslims in the local government areas where the state of emergency was declared,” he told journalists in a phone conference late Sunday. “We would confront them squarely to protect our brothers.”

 Speaking in the Hausa language common throughout the north, Qaqa said: “We also wish to call on our fellow Muslims to come back to the north because we have evidence that they would be attacked. We are also giving a three-day ultimatum to the southerners living in the northern part of Nigeria to move away.”

 Qaqa also criticised Jonathan over his visit to a Catholic church outside Abuja on Saturday. The church was the site of the bloodiest Christmas day attack, with an explosion killing 44 people there as services were ending.

 “The President had never visited any of the theatres were Muslims were massacred,” he said, naming areas where scores of Muslims were killed in post-election riots in April.

 Boko Haram is believed to include different factions with varying aims, its structure remains unclear and other people have claimed to speak on its behalf.

Summary of News from The Vanguard, 2 January, 2012