Factional leader of the Boko Haram insurgent group, Abubakar Shekau was reported dead on Wednesday, eliciting deluge of reactions from Nigerians.
This is not the first time that the news of Shekau’s death will surface in the media as there have been similar claims in as much as four times in the past.
According to reports, this time, Shekau was killed during a fierce battle between members of his sect and the fighters of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), around Sambisa Forest.
The Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters have been widely reported to have established their operational base in Sambisa forest despite several security interventions from Nigeria and other neighbouring countries like Chad to wipe them out.
However, according to an intelligence quoted by several online media, the two terrorists groups engaged each other in a fierce battle on Wednesday.
The ISWAP fighters reportedly surrounded the base of the Shekau-led Boko Haram with many of the latter’s fighters fleeing for their lives.
Shekau who knew the intention of the ISWAP fighters was to capture him alive was said to have detonated a bomb and killed himself.
Although, the reason for the engagement was yet to be known as of press time, however, the ISWAP fighters are believed to have been on the trail of Shekau.
The military authorities are yet to comment on the reports of Shekau’s death as of press time.
Recall that Shekau, who took over leadership of Boko Haram in 2009 following the death of Mohammed Yusuf, the group’s founder, had been reported dead on different occasions in the past, of which he had debunked the rumours through video or audio messages.
The recent reports of the demise of Shekau have been generating deluge of reactions from Nigerians. Many Nigerians have been wondering when the reports of the death of the Boko Haram leader would stop surfacing in the media.
Here are some of the reactions harvested from Twitter:
“Abubakar Shekau has reportedly been killed like 4 times before. We want to see his dead body, before he wakes up and makes a crazy video taunting the country and our Army again in 2 weeks. If indeed he is dead, may his soul rot in hell.” (@OgbeniDipo)
“Shekau has died several times and so it’s hard to believe this latest report of his death without credible proof.”(@gimbakakanda)
“So Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau was killed for the 9th time yesterday. No way that guy got 9 lives ? No way he is imortal.”(@Mohnice)
“Reports that Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, is dead. Shekau either was killed by members of the rival ISWAP group or through suicide. By my count, this is the ninth occasion in which claims of Shekau’s death emerged from Nigeria, but the first to not come from state sources.”(@Pol_Sec_Analyst)
“What is dead may never die. On a more serious note though, just like I tweeted, killing the person does not kill the persona. Afterall, we all kúkú do not know who the Shekau actually is so it’s simply a matter of another terrorist taking on that persona.”(@FemiOjosu)
