Boko Haram Leader, Shekau Killed in Clash with ISWAP

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

Leader of the Boko Haram group that has terrorised northern Nigeria in the last decade, Abubakar Shekau, has again been reported dead.

A police intelligence report shared with TheCable quoted top commanders of the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), a breakaway faction of Boko Haram, as saying Shekau blew himself up on Wednesday following a confrontation.

The Boko Haram leader was said to have killed himself with a bomb “when he observed that the ISWAP fighters wanted to capture him alive”.

An ISWAP commander, Baana Duguri, was quoted as saying in the report from the Nigeria police intelligence unit that the ISWAP members “surrounded the Boko Haram leader with his team and shooting ensued between the two factions”.

TheCable reported that his conversation with Modu Sulum, ISWAP logistics commander, was taped by the Inspector General of police (IG) Intelligence Response Team (IRT) led by Abba Kyari.

Shekau’s reported death has not been independently verified by TheCable. But this is not the first time it has been in the news.

Checks by TheCable showed that the Boko Haram leader has been pronounced dead on at least four occasions, mostly by the military.