Nigerian security forces have at least three times in the past declared that they have killed or fatally wounded Shekau.
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“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”.
Nigeria’s air force said it had killed a number of senior Boko Haram fighters and possibly their overall leader, and Secretary of State John Kerry arrived for talks on tackling the militants.
On his first stop in the northern city of Sokoto, the top USA diplomat said the struggle against Boko Haram would only succeed if it tackled the reasons why people join militant groups and gained the public’s trust.
“Those Boko Haram terrorist commanders confirmed dead include Abubakar Mubi, Malam Nuhu and Malam Hamman, amongst others”.
“Their leader, so called “Abubakar Shekau”, is believed to be fatally wounded on his shoulders”, the statement released on Tuesday from army spokesman Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman added.
“Several other terrorists were also wounded”.
The group, seeking to impose strict Islamic law in the country’s mainly Muslim north, has killed some 20,000 people and displaced as many as 2.6 million others who have been forced to flee their homes since 2009.
A video showing dozens of the girls last Sunday said Shekau is willing to negotiate a prisoner swap for detained Boko Haram commanders.
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Barnawi’s appointment was contained in a magazine issued by the Islamic State group, to which Boko Haram pledged allegiance in March previous year. He had pledged the group’s allegiance to the Islamic State group past year – giving IS its first franchise in sub-Saharan Africa.
