Lai Mohammed reveals why Boko Haram and ISWAP now attack Christians and Churches

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that the actions of the Nigerian military against Boko Haram and ISWAP has made them change strategy which has seen them focus their attacks on Christians and Churches.

While addressing a conference in Abuja on Thursday, the minister stated that the onslaught against the sects has made them lose territories they once controlled in the Northeast.

Lai Mohammed said: “Recall that Boko Haram insurgents didn’t use to discriminate between Christians and Muslims when they carried out their attacks in the past. Churches and mosques, Christians and Muslims were attacked without discrimination. When they targeted motor parks, the religion, gender, ethnicity or political leaning of the victims didn’t matter, as long as they inflicted the maximum damage to lives and property.

“But in the wake of a renewed onslaught by our tireless military against Boko Haram and their ISWAP allies in recent times, the insurgents have apparently changed their strategy: They have started targeting Christians and Christian villages for a specific reason, which is to trigger a religious war and throw the nation into chaos. Apparently, they have realized how emotive and divisive religion can be when exploited by unscrupulous persons.

“Lest I am misunderstood, let me repeat: the insurgents, who delude themselves as Muslims whereas they are nothing more than blood-thirsty, rapacious killers who subscribe to no religion, have recently started targeting Christians with a view to sowing the seed of confusion between the two great religions. This did not in any way signify that they have stopped attacking Muslims. But they seem to now have a deliberate policy of attacking Christians,” Lai Mohammed explained.