US Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday praised Nigeria for its recent gains against Boko Haram Islamists but did not confirm military claims that the group’s leader Abubakar Shekau has been wounded.
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In a statement, it said its planes had attacked the group inside the Sambisa forest in the country’s northeast on Friday.
In a statement, the spokesman for the army Sani Usman said that Shekau “was fatally wounded on his shoulders” in a raid that was carried out on Friday on the Sambisa forest. It said lack of adequate information stopped either sides from addressing the issue.
Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice, Borno state, Hon Kaka Shehu Lawan, accused Alhaji Ali Modu Sheriff of being responsible for the growth of the dreaded Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram, saying he should be arrested and prosecuted.
“To effectively counter violent extremism, we have to ensure that military action is coupled with a reinforced commitment to values like integrity, good governance, education, compassion, security and respect for human rights”, Mr. Kerry said.
The World Food Program (WFP) on Tuesday said it requires $52 million to continue providing life-saving assistance to people affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria. Several other Boko Haram fighters were wounded, as well.
A video showing dozens of the girls on Sunday said Shekau is willing to negotiate a prisoner swap for detained Boko Haram commanders.
There was no immediate reaction from the group, which only communicates with the media by videos.
His influence in the group was undercut at the start of August after Islamic State announced Abu Musab al-Barnawi as the new leader of Boko Haram.
A fracturing Boko Haram isn’t good news for the 218 mostly Christian schoolgirls who have been held captive since 2014.
The country’s president is under increasing pressure to rescue or negotiate the girls’ release, but his spokesman has said officials are wary since previous negotiations failed because they were duped into talks with the wrong people.
Mr Kerry praised the efforts of Nigeria’s armed forces, which have undergone reform under the new president, Muhammadu Buhari, who swept to power a year ago on a ticket to tackle endemic corruption.
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. Congress still needs to approve the deal.
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Whether reports of the airstrike are exaggerated or not, it’s likely to be an important topic of conversation for Mr. Kerry and his staff during the Nigeria visit. The conflict has led to the deaths of more than 20,000 people.
