In a statement issued by the Nigerian military it was confirmed that Shekau was killed by security forces. The military stated that the real Shekau was killed by soldiers over a year ago, but that his character had been assumed by another leader of the deadly group.
“The impersonator is the man who appeared in several Boko Haram propaganda videos, claiming he is Shekau”, the military said. The military claimed that it was new Shekau that was killed in a fierce clash with the military last week in Konduga, near Maiduguri, Borno state.
That man, Olukolade said, was Mohammed Bashir, known also with several aliases.
He had used other names like Abacha Abdullahi Geidam and Damasack in the past.
Olukolade illustrated the Defence authorities claim with pictures of the bullet-ridden corpse of Shekau and a video of the battle in which he was killed.
The statement is the first official confirmation of the death of Shekau since news broke last week he had been killed in a confrontation as militants moved to attack Maiduguri.
Olukolade said the alleged Shekau’s double was targeted amongst other leaders of the group in Konduga when the military’s land and air forces engaged a convoy of combat vehicles conveying several militants.
“Several of the terrorists, including some of their commanders, lost their lives in the encounters which lasted an average of about 5 hours each,” the defence spokesperson said.
“The troops captured some of the terrorists and their equipment. In the course of those encounters, one Mohammed Bashir who has been acting or posing on videos as the deceased Abubakar Shekau, the eccentric character known as leader of the group died.
Olukolade said after the clash, the identity of Bashir was confirmed by the locals in Konduga.
“Bashir’s other names included Abubakar Shekau, alias Abacha Abdullahi Geidam alias Damasack.
Since the name Shekau has become a brand name for the terrorists’ leader, the Nigerian military remains resolute to serve justice to anyone who assumes that designation or title as well as all terrorists that seek to violate the freedom and territory of Nigeria,” the statement read.
On Tuesday, a journalist said to be a close ally of Boko Haram, Ahmad Salkida, said he had it on “authority” that Shekau was hale and hearty.
Writing on his Twitter handle, Salkida, who is on self-exile in the United Arab Emirates, claimed that Shekau was not the one in the pictures of a corpse that trended on Monday on social media after they were published by the Cameroon Concord.
“Mark my words: I have it on authority that Shekau is well and alive. The pictures going round are not that of the person who torments us with his group,” the journalist added.
The spokesperson for the Department of State Service had in May claimed that “the real Abubakar Shekau had been taken out.”
“Boko Haram has become a franchise; anybody can assume and lay claim to any name. What I know is that the original Abubakar Shekau is dead; the person claiming to be the national leader now is not the original Abubakar Shekau.
“If security sources tell you that somebody is dead, you don’t have to come out and doubt that,” Ogar said.
A former spokesman for the Joint Task Force in the North-East, Sagir Musa, had in a statement in August 2013, also said that Shekau might have been killed during a battle with troops in June last year.
But during the news conference on Wednesday, the defence spokesman said that many top commanders of Boko Haram were also killed in the four battles against the insurgents between September 12 and 17.
Olukolade added that the military was determined to eliminate anybody, who claims to be Shekau, a name which, he said had become a brand for the leader of the insurgents.
He said, “Nigerian troops have been conducting coordinated air and land operations in furtherance of efforts at containing the terrorists in the North -East. . Somehow, it became apparent that the terrorists, in continuation of their campaign of terror, were determined to take over communities around Maiduguri, which is their prime target.
“There was, therefore, the need to ensure that communities such as Kodunga were protected. It is noteworthy that the terrorists made no less than four attempts between September 12 and 17 to violate the security and enter Kodunga to perpetrate their atrocities. Air and land forces were subsequently deployed to handle the situation.
“The convoy of combat vehicles typical of terrorists’ mission that involved their top commanders was engaged by land and air forces. Several of the terrorists, including some of their commanders, lost their lives in the encounters which lasted an average of about five hours each. The troops captured some of the terrorists and their equipment.
“In the course of those encounters, one Mohammed Bashir, who has been acting or posing on videos as the deceased Abubakar Shekau, the eccentric character known as leader of the group, died.
“Since the name Shekau has become a brand name for the terrorists’ leader, the Nigerian military remains resolute to serve justice to anyone who assumes that designation or title as well as all terrorists that seek to violate the freedom and territory of Nigeria.
“On restoring normalcy after the encounters, inhabitants of the community who were victims of their activities corroborated information on the identity of Bashir Mohammed alias Abubakar Shekau, alias Abacha Abdullahi Geidam alias Damasack, etc.
“Indeed, the recent devastation on the leadership of the insurgents is attributable to the renewed commitment to the mission of eradicating terrorism in our country.”
Olukolade also said that 135 insurgents surrendered their weapons to troops in Borno and Adamawa states on Tuesday evening.
Olukolade said 135 other terrorists on Tuesday evening surrendered along with equipment to troops around Biu Local Government Area.
A group of 88 submitted themselves at Mairiga/Bun-Yadi while another group of 45 terrorists were taken in around Mubi-Michika. They are all being interrogated and processed in conformity with the dictates of standard best practices.
“The Defence Headquarters applauds the gallantry of the Nigerian troops who have remained undaunted and professional in prosecuting this campaign against terror,” he said.
NigerianEye
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