After much speculation over the cause of a deadly set of explosions in Lagos last month, Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, released a video claiming responsibility, signifying that the Islamic insurgency has managed to hit the country's commercial centre for the first time.
Two successive blasts in the Lagos' port district on June 25 were passed off by the local government as mishap with a gas container. That explanation seemed a little thin. Behind closed doors, diplomats called it a cover-up designed to prevent panic. Now, Mr Shekau appears to have undermined the government's claims: "You said it was an ordinary fire, but it was me in that fire," he said in his video.
In laying claim to the bombing, Boko Haram has exacerbated concerns over its ability to reach deep into the south of the country. Lagos is the biggest city in Nigeria and the business centre for Africa's largest economy. There have been Islamist threats against Lagos before. In May, for instance, America sounded a warning that Sheraton hotels could be a target for terrorists. Local security forces have also...Continue reading
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