The new leader of Boko Haram is the son of the group’s founder, according to a Boko Haram insider.
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Boko Haram’s former spokesman Abu Musab al-Barnawi has been named as the Nigerian militant organization’s new leader, the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, announced Wednesday.
In the audio message, Shekau accused al-Barnawi of attempting to arrange a coup against him.
Freedom Onuha of the National Defence College was among experts who warned that it was hard to verify that it really was Shekau speaking in the recording. The magazine made no reference to Shekau.
The Director of Defence Information, (DHQ), Brig.-Gen.
He said the announcement of a new leader for the group was irrelevant and inconsequential to its operations.
The Nigerian government has described as cheap propaganda the report that ISIS has appointed a new leader for Boko Haram.
He said for now, the troops are focused on clearing the remnants of the insurgents scattered around the northeast.
“It’s (leadership change) not anything to us and we will continue to reduce them to nothing”. The functioning of the military is said to have been hampered by deep-rooted official corruption. He said “there are strong indications that Boko Haram is re-strategizing, not surrendering”.
The group pledged its allegiance to ISIS a year ago.
Al-Barnawi was Boko Haram’s spokesperson until he and other members defected to form the Vanguard for the Protection of Muslims in Black Lands (Ansaru) group in 2013.
“The strategic leadership appointment should be considered a direct threat from ISIS”.
However, in another message, Boko Haram maintained it was a potent fighting force, with men holding AK-47s posing in front of Toyota Hilux pick-up trucks and a lorry mounted with a military cannon.
The Defence Headquarters also spoke in the same vein.
“We won’t stop attacks on the disbelievers [Christians] who sought to impose their way of life on the Muslims”.
Barnawi said the terror group, founded by the late Yusuf – who died in Nigerian government custody – arose to guide Muslims back to the “righteous path” of Islam’s first generation.
“The troops recovered a Gionee brand of mobile phone handset and a fake SAIE/JIBWIS identification card to ideal his escape and the sum of N7,900”.
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Boko Haram has split before but this is the most serious division to date.
