In a report by BBC, the Chadian President, Idriss Deby on Wednesday has said the Islamic sect, Boko Haram has replaced Abubakar Shekau as the leader of the Boko Haram sect. He disclosed that Shekau had been replaced by Mahamat Daoud, who according to him is open to dialogue.
The Chadian President’s claim is fuelling a speculation that Abubakar Shekau, the leader of the sect, may indeed be dead.
It will be recalled that military authorities confirmed the killing of Shekau during one of its raids in Kodunga, Borno State, between September 12 and 17, 2014.
But Shekau later appeared in a video, claiming he was not dead. However, Shekau has been missing in the group’s videos in the last five months, lending force to the belief that he has been killed.
A picture published by The Cable on Wednesday showed the dead body of Shekau in a place identified as Sambisa forest.
Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters, on Wednesday condemned the increasing suicide attacks occasioned by loss of innocent lives in the North-East of the country.
The Acting Director, Defence Information, Col. Rabe Abubakar, who condemned the acts of the insurgents in an email, was particularly piqued by the latest suicide attack at Sabon Gari Market in Borno State. He declared that the bombings would soon come to an end. He described those behind the acts as barbaric and callous.
He assured the citizenry that the military would not relent in making efforts to rid the country of terrorists and their activities.
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He said that the security forces were still making efforts to weaken the capacity of the insurgents “who are in disarray but still constituted some danger to the civil populace.”
He said, “The Defence Headquarters has condemned in its entirety the spate of suicide attacks in the North-East, where scores of innocent lives are lost regularly. The latest being the suicide bombing at Sabon Gari Market in Borno State.
“Those perpetrating these heinous crimes are callous. They are barbaric monsters whose activities will soon become a thing of the past.
“The military is intensifying efforts to continue to break the bones of the terrorists and wish to re-state and re-assure Nigerians that it is not relenting in its efforts to rid the country of terrorism and any act of criminalities.
“Every step is being taken to neutralise the capability of terrorists, whose activities still continue to constitute danger to civil populace, as they are in disarray while running away from their former safe havens and no longer capable of confronting the troops.”
Abubakar called on the citizens to be vigilant and be wary of strange faces and objects in their localities.
The acting Defence spokesman, who advised the pubic to give timely information to security agencies, stressed that the collective efforts of the security agencies and the public in the area of information sharing was required to defeat the insurgents.
Deby also called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to negotiate with Boko Haram.
