IS BOKO HARAM LEADER SHEKAU REALLY DEAD? Rival militants have released audio recordings saying that the leader of the ultra-violent Nigerian terror group Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, has killed himself by detonating explosives planted to his body after a battle with the other group. There has been no independent confirmation of Shekau’s death, and he has been declared ‘dead’ in the past only to emerge again. But if it is true, it will be a big blow to Boko Haram. Shekau took over the group after its founder was killed in police custody in 2009. He turned the organisation into a crazed, violent group that has terrorised north-east Nigeria ever since, with senseless killings of thousands of civilians. More than 30,000 people have been killed so far. In a 2012 video, he can be heard saying: “I enjoy killing... the way I enjoy slaughtering chickens and sheep.” Such was the nature of the man. [COMMENT BY : Omar Shariff, International Editor]
AFP