Boko Haram warns Nigerian military

Islamic militant group Boko Haram warned Nigerian soldiers to stay out of the Muslim north of the country or face a direct confrontation. Boko Haram this week gave Christians in the north of the country three days to leave or face militant attacks. Adul Qada, a spokesman for the group, was quoted by The Daily Telegraph newspaper in London as saying soldiers responding to a declared state of emergency would pay the price. "We find it pertinent to state that soldiers will only kill innocent Muslims in the local government areas where the state of emergency was declared," he said. "We would confront them squarely to protect our brothers." Abuja during the weekend declared a state of emergency following a series of attacks claimed by Boko Haram, including a deadly attack on Christmas Day. Christian leaders in the country blasted Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan for his inability to take the security threat seriously. Alhaji Lai Mohammed, a spokesman for the opposition Action Congress of Nigeria, last weekend said a national summit was needed to tackle the Boko Haram threat. "If we all fail to act now, no one will be spared of the consequences, irrespective of their party affiliation or religious leaning," he was quoted as saying. Boko Haram claimed responsibility for an attack on the U.N. headquarters in August that killed 23 people. The British newspaper said the Islamic group is responsible for 500 deaths last year, including several members of the national security force.