We are giving a three-day ultimatum to the southerners living in the northern part of Nigeria to move away

A purported spokesman for Nigerian group Boko Haram has threatened to confront soldiers after the president declared an emergency in areas hit by attacks blamed on the militants, AFP reported.
  
"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," Abul Qaqa told journalists in a phone conference late Sunday. "We would confront them squarely to protect our brothers."
  
Qaqa also threatened southern Nigerians living in the north of the country, roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south. "We also wish to call on our fellow Muslims to come back to the north because we have evidence that they would be attacked," he said.
  
"We are also giving a three-day ultimatum to the southerners living in the northern part of Nigeria to move away."
  
A state of emergency was declared on Saturday in parts of four states hard hit by violence blamed on Boko Haram.