ISIS Accepts Pledge of Allegiance From Boko Haram

ISIS has reportedly accepted Nigerian terror group Boko Haram’s pledge of allegiance. ISIS spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani announced the deal on Thursday in a speech distributed across social media, according to the SITE Intelligence Group.

In the same speech, Adnani said ISIS wanted to take over Paris, Rome, and Andalusia, and destroy Big Ben and the White House.

Boko Haram made the pledge of allegiance on Saturday, according to Reuters. “We announce our allegiance to the Caliph… and will hear and obey in times of difficulty and prosperity, in hardship and ease,” an English language translation of the group’s audio message read. “We call upon Muslims everywhere to pledge allegiance to the Caliph.”

It’s not clear what, exactly, the pledge means or if it makes either group more dangerous—they are, after all, approximately a full continent apart—but Nigeria is taking the collaboration seriously.

“[The audio] is confirming what we always thought. It’s sad, it’s bad,” Nigerian government spokesman Mike Omeri said. “It’s why we were appealing to the international community… Hopefully the world will wake up to the disaster unfolding here.”