IN spite of the December 31, 2011 emergency declaration by President Goodluck Jonathan, in areas hard hit by violent insurrection courtesy of members of the dreaded Islamic fundamentalist group, Boko Haram, the sect is yet to surrender.Sounds of guns and bombs have not ceased in some of the affected areas. As soon as government pronouncement the emergency on New Year eve, Boko Haram issued on January 1, an ultimatum to Christians in the northern part of the country to leave within three days and threatened the descend heavily on government troops in the areas where state of emergency had been declared.On January 4, three bomb blasts hit the northern Nigerian cities of Maiduguri and Damaturu leaving over 20 dead and several others injured with Boko Haram quickly claiming responsibility. Several other attacks were soon to follow.On January 5, in Gombe State Gunmen opened fire on worshippers at the Deeper Life Bible Church, killing eight worshippers, including the wife of the Pastor of the Church, even as two other victims in the state were killed in a hotel in the metropolis, with several others wounded.An 80-year old father, Musa Darkuwa and his son, Usman were killed in Maiduguri, capital of Borno State same Thursday night, bringing the number of those killed by suspected members of the sect in the two states within the period to about 30.And Nigerians mourn the dead, they woke up to the news of another attack, this time the victims being those mourning.On January 6, gunmen fired at Christian mourners in the northeastern town of Mubi, killing 17 people and the number continues to increase by the hour. It was gathered that the killing in Mubi started Thursday night, when gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram killed three persons suspected to be southerners and a purported spokesman for Boko Haram on Friday claimed responsibility for the separate attacks inMubi.The spokesman who goes by the name Abul Qaqa also said the attacks were in response to an ultimatum he issued on Sunday, January 1, giving Christians three days to leave the country's mainly Muslim north.'We are responsible for the attacks in Mubi and Gombe,' the purported spokesman, told journalists in Maiduguri by phone.'We are extending our frontiers to other places to show that the declaration of a state of emergency by the Nigerian government will not deter us'. We can really go to wherever we want to go.'Still on Friday The Nigeria Police authorities in Adamawa and Yobe states say two separate gangs of Boko Haram gunmen attacked a Church and barbing salon in Yola, Adamawa state, killing eight worshipers and three customers at the salon, after the earlier Church attacks on Friday night by 7.45pm.Attacks in Potiskum on Friday, were repelled by men of the Joint Task Force (JTF), who engaged the sect members in a shooting spree for three hours, killing two residents and wounding some bystanders.As at yesterday, fleet of travelers were seen going back to their states of origin, in response to the ultimatum issued by Boko Haram. Reports from Asaba, Warri, Sapele in Delta and from other Southern states indicate that hundreds of citizens were relocating.The Police, which had dismissed the Bko Haram ultimatum with a wave of the hand, seem not to have any answer to the continued onslaught.
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