Boko Haram denies abducting French tourists

Members of the boko haram sect

Islamic sect, Boko Haram, has  denied  involvement in the abduction of seven French tourists in Cameroon.

The group, which declared ceasefire five weeks ago, made this known during  a press conference in Maiduguri on Sunday.

Sheikh Abu Muhammad Ibn Abdulazeez,  who spoke on behalf of the sect shadow leader, Abubakar Shekau, also absolved the sect from the renewed hostility within and around Maiduguri, in which at least 30 persons including security personnel and three Korean medical expatriates were killed in the past three weeks.

“We have been hearing of late how people are linking us with the kidnap of the seven French nationals in Cameroon. We have nothing to do with the French people or their abductors.

“The security or who ever that is trying to rescue the kidnapped French  nationals should better look elsewhere, because it would amount to waste of time if they continue assuming we are involved,” Abdulazeez said.

He was accompanied by four other members that declined identifying their identity through out the 30 minutes long press conference held secretly in a TV broadcast house.

He said their leader (Shekau) was till committed to the ceasefire deal with the Federal Government.

He dissociated the group from the recently circulated leaflets in some parts of Maiduguri in which a seemingly splinter group of the sect, said the leader had not discussed any truce deal with government.