We may start abducting family members of government officials and security agents-Boko Haram

The spokesman, who claimed that spouses and other family members of Boko Haram were arrested and detained by security agencies, said they might be forced to do the same thing to government officials and security agents.

The group also condemned the arrest of their members in Kano and most recently in Sokoto by the State Security Service (SSS).

“We are not saying that our members caught in active combat should be spared, but most of those arrested so far are our brothers that have never participated in the ongoing armed struggle between our group and the Nigerian state. These people are denied the right to go about their daily business,” Qaqa said.

He said “we may consider abducting family members of government and security agents if this continues. We may also consider attacking schools where their children attend if mosques and Qur'anic schools attended by Muslim children in the southern part of the country are bombed again.”

Qaqa,, who urged Nigeria Defence Forces to respect the rules of engagement in their operations, warned that if such was not adhere to, certain things they overlooked in the past might well be re-considered in their own operations.