He assured Nigerian that the USA was fully committed to fighting corruption and entrenching good governance globally.
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In a statement, Sani Usman, the army’s spokesman, said after “interdiction efforts” by the Nigerian Air Force on Friday (Aug. 19) “some key leaders of the Boko Haram terrorists have been killed”.
Boko Haram did not comment on the claims, although the military has wrongly claimed to have killed Shekau on at least five previous occasions. During that period, the argument that ensued between the Nigerian Army and its Cameroonian counterpart made many Nigerians easily believe that Shekau was truly dead; a Cameroon military source declared, with photo evidence that the country’s army killed the Boko Haram leader following an aerial bombardment of his hideout inside Nigeria.
There was no immediate reaction from Boko Haram to the government’s claims. USA intelligence officials have said Shekau is bent on establishing an Islamic caliphate.
Nigeria has been battling Islamic sect Boko Haram for about 7 years now. The video has given the family members of the kidnapped girls renewed hope that their girls are alive and could be brought back. Shekau, however, apparently rejected his dismissal in an audio message.
“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.
Mr. Shekau, who in recent months has been embroiled in a power struggle to lead the militant group, was “fatally wounded on his shoulders”, the military said.
Kerry appealed to Nigerians to practise equality and tolerance to “overcome deep-seated ethnic and religious divisions”.
The claim comes as Kerry visits the country on a two-day trip for talks likely to focus on the fight against Boko Haram and the sputtering economy. “While they are not flawless, they are conscious” of the issue, the official added. Under Nigeria’s last president, Goodluck Jonathan, the United States had blocked arms sales and ended training of Nigerian troops partly over human rights concerns such as treatment of captured insurgents.
Mr Kerry praised the efforts of Nigeria’s armed forces, which have undergone reform under the new president, Muhammadu Buhari, who swept to power past year on a ticket to tackle endemic corruption.
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Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari told a top US official that the country’s anticorruption campaign will proceed with sustained vigor in line with the rule of law, insisting that no one found betraying the public trust will go unpunished. Congress still needs to approve the deal.
