Since Boko Haram pledged support to Islamic State past year, the group appears to have split into two main factions: one led by Mr. Shekau and another-backed by Islamic State-led by Abu Musab al-Barnawi.
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Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau speaks at an unknown location in this still image taken from an undated video released by Nigerian Islamist rebel group Boko Haram.
Boko Haram transforms “the most vulnerable among us into killers”, Mr Kerry said, describing how in its quest to destroy knowledge, the group destroys schools, burns books, murders teachers and kidnaps students.
“Nigerian military officials said the air force struck while Shekau was praying Friday at Taye village in the extremists” Sambisa Forest stronghold in northeastern Nigeria.
Usman also said three Boko Haram commanders – Abubakar Mubi, Malam Nuhu and Malam Hamman – were confirmed dead and several others wounded. Shekau, in particular, he claimed, was “fatally wounded on his shoulders”.
Many other insurgents were also killed at Darul Jamel on the fringes of Sambisa forest in Borno.
Tuesday’s announcement by the air force is at least the fourth time that Shekau has been declared killed.
The top U.S. diplomat, who was in Kenya on Monday, is expected to discuss the Boko Haram insurgency, fighting corruption and boosting Nigeria’s moribund economy that has been pummelled by the drop in global oil prices.
There was no immediate reaction from Boko Haram to the government’s claims.
The air raid claim comes ahead of US Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to the country this week for talks likely to focus on the challenges of tackling Boko Haram.
The abduction of over 270 schoolgirls in April 2014 brought Boko Haram into the global spotlight, with many using the #BringBackOurGirls hashtag to raise awareness of the campaign to find the abductees. Dozens of the kidnapped girls escaped, but 218 remain missing.
Abu Musab al Barawi, who is the son of Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf, was reportedly chosen because he is less violent toward Muslims than his predecessor.
Shekau started the uprising in 2009 that has killed 20,000 people, driven more than 2.2 million from their homes, and spread across Nigeria’s borders.
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The military released the statement on Tuesday, although it didn’t specify how it got the information.
