AMINA ANEBI, Kaduna
An Islamic group, Jama’ar Ansarul Muslimina fi Biladi Sudan, also known as Ansaru, has said they were not responsible for the train attack on the Abuja/Kaduna train route in March as claimed by the attackers.
In a statement distributed to the residents and motorists plying the Birnin Gwari road on Thursday, which they titled ‘Message to Nigerian Government and the Citizens,’ the group distanced itself from the train attack.
The statement written in Hausa language was obtained and translated by Firstnews.
The group said it works for Allah by protecting Islam and Muslims who have been cheated and oppressed.
The group added that its members do not kill and abduct people except for those they are sure are kafirs (infidels) or an oppressor.
They equally said that Abu Barra is not their leader, saying that at the appropriate time they will disclose the name of their leader to the public.
The group maintained that its mission is to defend Islam from the wicked Nigerian government and other African countries.
Recall that in a recent security update, Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-rufai confirmed the presence of Ansarul in two LGAs of the state, namely Giwa and Birnin-Gwari.
The Chairman of Birnin Gwari Emirate Progressive Union (BEPU), Ishaq Kasai, in an interview on Friday confirmed the receipt of the Pamphlets by the Ansaru group denying responsibility for the Abuja-Kaduna train attack.
Kasai said, “Our coordinators from some of the wards intimated us that the Ansarul group came on motorcycles and dropped the pamphlets in their various communities as well as to motorists.
“We asked them to bring the pamphlet to us.”
The translated version of the group’s statement read, “We are Jama’ar Ansarul Muslimina fi Biladi Sudan. We want to inform you that the attack on the Kaduna-Abuja Train was not by us, even though the attackers claimed our group’s name. It is not everyone that we used to attack.
“Our mission is to work for Allah by protecting Islam and Muslims who are being cheated/oppressed. Our group’s aim is to become defenders of Islam and Muslims from the wicked Nigerian Government and other black African countries.
“The name being claimed by the Kaduna-Abuja Train attackers is really our group’s name but Abul Barra is not the leader of our group (Jama’ar Ansarul Muslimina fi Biladi Sudan). Our group does not indulge in propaganda. Anytime we so wish, we will reveal to the public the name of our group leader and its mission.
“We want the general public to understand that we don’t kill anyhow and not everyone we used to abduct unless we are sure that he is a Kafir or an oppressor.
“Even if you bathe with money because of your wealth, we don’t care unless for what is for Allah and we must protect people against oppressors to the best of our ability.
“Members of the public should also understand that, in the process of protecting Islam and the right of Muslims, we can be right or wrong but our wrongdoing would not be deliberate.
“At this juncture, we are concluding by praying for peace to be upon the faithfuls.”
