Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau commits suicide

 

Security agencies are said to be on alert over a report that Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, may have taken his own life by committing suicide.

Shekau, whose story now appears like the cat with nine lives, has been reportedly killed on several occasions but had re-emerged to lead his terrorist group to unleash more mayhem on Nigeria, ridiculing the military and civilian authorities.

But on Wednesday evening, reports filtered in that Shekau was killed during a face-off with fighters of rival terrorist group, the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), around Sambisa Forest.

Former senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, lent credence to the death of Shekau, Thursday morning on his Twitter handle.

Sani tweeted: “The Boko Haram leader Shekau lived by the Sword…,” a reference to the saying that ‘he who lives by the sword, dies by the sword’.

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RELIABLESOURCENG.COM reports that in an intelligence cited by Daily Trust, Baana Duguri, an ISWAP Commander, said Shekau’s men and ISWAP fighters engaged in a fierce battle on Wednesday.

The ISWAP fighters were said to have been on the trail of Shekau, whom they wanted to capture alive, but the Boko Haram leader reportedly committed suicide to avoid being caught.

“The ISWAP fighters surrounded the Boko Harm leader as the shooting ensued between the two sides but Shekau detonated a bomb and killed himself when he observed that the ISWAP fighters wanted to capture him alive,” the intelligence read.

The military authorities are yet to comment on the news about Shekau’s death but top security sources, according to Daily Trust, said ISWAP’s claim was being verified.

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Both the Department of State Services (DSS) and the army authorities are said to be verifying the claim.

Although there have been reports of ISWAP and Boko Haram Commanders being killed in exchange of gunfire, this is the first time that Shekau will be reported to have been killed in a battle with terrorists.

Shekau had been reported dead on different occasions in the past but during encounters with the Nigerian military.

However, he has subsequently embarrassed the military and government by debunking the claim of his death through videos or audios.

Shekau took over leadership of Boko Haram in 2009 following the death of Mohammed Yusuf, the group’s founder.