He said Shekau “is believed to be fatally wounded” along with other leaders. The extremist group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State terrorist group, outlawed in Russian Federation and many other countries, in March 2015. “Abubakar Shekau” fatally wounded”, the Nigerian Army wrote on its Twitter account. They are followed by video messages from Shekau denying the claims. It is unknown how the army was able to confirm the deaths of the Boko Haram commanders.
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Nigeria’s battle against Boko Haram will only succeed if it tackles the reasons why people join Islamist militant groups and if the government and its military gain people’s trust, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday.
“I can not but say thank you”.
Observers don’t expect confirmation of Shekau’s death from the terrorist group, which only communicates in periodic videos sent to the media.
Boko Haram, which seeks to impose a strict Islamic law in Nigeria’s mainly-Muslim north, has killed some 20,000 people and forced at least 2.6 million others to flee their homes since 2009.
Shekau has also been embroiled in a leadership battle that may have resulted from the increasing ties between Boko Haram and the Islamic State.
On Sunday August 14, the Chibok girls were back in the spotlight after a Boko Haram video purportedly showing some of them was released, following months of silence and speculation about their fates.
The NTA however added in its report that the “so called “Abubakar Shekau” is believed to be fatally wounded on his shoulders”.
Kerry, visiting the cities of Sokoto and Abuja, is meeting with President Buhari to discuss counterterrorism efforts, the Nigerian economy, the fight against corruption, and human rights issues.
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But since President Muhammadu Buhari took office past year, United States officials have moved to sell as many as 12 light attack aircrafts to the country, according to Reuters.
