The Islamic State has accepted the pledge of allegiance from Boko Haram, a group that had been sowing terror in Nigeria and its neighboring states. 

In an unverified audio message, a man named Mohammed al-Adnani, who claimed to be an ISIS spokesman, said that the caliphate has now expanded to West Africa.

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"We announce to you the good news of the expansion of the caliphate to West Africa because the caliph... has accepted the allegiance of our brothers of the Sunni group for preaching and the jihad," al-Adnani said.

The spokesman went on to urge fellow Muslims to join the Boko Haram militants in West Africa, as he belies reports that the U.S.-led coalition has scored in a series of victories against the ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

Just recently, Nigerian militants Boko Haram posted a message on its social media sites, pledging allegiance to the Islamic state.  They wrote: "We announce our allegiance to the caliph... and will hear and obey in times of difficulty and prosperity. We call on Muslims everywhere to pledge allegiance to the caliph."

Boko Haram was founded in 2002.  But it began attacking villages and innocent civilians in northern Nigeria in 2009, in a bid to impose an Islamist rule.  Since then, the insurgency has spread to neighboring states such as Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

Boko Haram's pledge of loyalty to the ISIS did not describe the level of cooperation between the two groups.  It also did not say if both groups would join forces in ground battle.  But Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan had earlier said some members of the Boko Haram go in and out of the Middle East to train with the ISIS.

The Islamic State has already forged alliance with other militant groups across North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Its leader, Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi had earlier accepted pledges of allegiance from jihadists in Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

The ISIS has drawn global condemnation for its brutal acts including abductions, mass killings and beheadings.

Based on a United Nations report, more than 24,000 people have been killed and injured by ISIS attacks.   

TagsISIS, Boko Haram, pledge of allegiance, terror, Nigeria, Iraq, Muslim, caliphate