Boko Haram threatens Nigerian elections

(Vatican Radio) Nigeria's Islamist extremist group Boko Haram renewed their threat to use violence to disrupt Nigeria's upcoming elections scheduled for March 28th.

The warnings come as leaders from the region finalized plans for a joint offensive against Boko Haram, which has attacked communities across Nigeria’s border.

“It is not so much what Boko Haram says or threatens,” said Cardinal John Onaiyekan, the Archbishop of the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

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“We already know they have a way of talking with exaggeration about what they can do,” he said.

Boko Haram was cited as a reason for postponing by six weeks a Nigerian presidential election that had been due to take place this past Saturday.

Cardinal Onaiyekan said the government is capable of running a safe poll.

“The Nigerian nation should take on its basic responsibility to keep our nation secure, and to keep the people safe during the election, and also outside of the election period,” said Cardinal Onaiyekan.

“We believe that this is not beyond their power to do. In fact, they have no excuse not to prepare the ground for a free, fair, and voluntary election,” he continued. “If the government, by omission or commission, does not assure this, it means the government has lost seriously, and will disappoint the Nigerian people in a very serious way.”