Despite the military declaring him killed in 2009, a man purporting to be Shekau reappeared in videos posted on the internet less than a year later, when he ridiculed suggestions of his death. “While their leader, so-called ‘Abubakar Shekau, ‘ is believed to be fatally wounded on his shoulders. Several other terrorists were also wounded”, he said.
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The announcement was met with scepticism by Boko Haram experts who pointed out that Nigeria has repeatedly claimed to have killed Shekau in previous raids only for the militant leader to surface shortly afterwards in videos.
Shekau has also been embroiled in a leadership battle that may have resulted from the increasing ties between Boko Haram and the Islamic State.
But while news of a major airstrike killing Boko Haram’s leaders follows the recent trend as the army has gained ground on the sect, it’s not the first time Nigeria’s army has claimed to have killed Shekau. Among them is Abubakar Shekau, infamous head of Boko Haram.
“The air interdiction took place last week Friday 19th August 2016, while the terrorists were performing Friday rituals at Taye village, Gombale general area within Sambisa forest, Borno State”.
Sani Kukasheka Usman, a colonel and acting director of army public relations, made the claim in a statement he released very early on Tuesday morning.
Boko Haram kidnapped 219 girls from their secondary school in Chibok in April 2014 and have killed an estimated 15,000 people in their fight to set up an Islamist state. Shekau, who seems to have favored a more independent vision of Boko Haram, seems to be in charge of only small group of fighters who still refer to themselves by their original name.
Dozens of the kidnapped girls escaped, but 218 remain missing.
In Abuja, the Secretary will meet with a group of adolescent girls working to change community perceptions that devalue the role of girls in society.
“Shekau started the uprising in 2009 that has killed 20,000 people, driven more than 2.2 million from their homes, spread across Nigeria’s borders and” flung some seven million Nigerians into hunger, thirst, and desperate need”.
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The insurgent appeared along with 50 of the abducted girls and demanded the release of detained Boko Haram members in exchange for the girls.
