Nigeria military claims Boko Haram leader dead
Abuja (AFP) - Nigeria's military
on Wednesday claimed for the first time that Boko Haram leader Abubakar
Shekau was dead, as it said troops had killed a lookalike who had been
posing as the militant commander. Defence
spokesman Chris Olukolade told reporters in Abuja that a heavily bearded
Islamist fighter identified as Mohammed Bashir died during fighting in
the town of Konduga, in Borno state.
Bashir,
who was said to have had several aliases, had "been acting or posing on
videos as the deceased Abubakar Shekau, the eccentric character known
as leader of the group", he added.
The
announcement is the first time the military has said publicly that
Shekau was dead after two previous claims by security sources that he
had died in July 2009 and in late June 2013.
The military did not, however, say how or when Shekau died.
Earlier
this year, the spokeswoman for the country's secret police, Marilyn
Ogar, said "the original Shekau is dead" and that the person appearing
in numerous videos was an imposter.
Olukolade
said on Wednesday that the actual identity of Boko Haram's leader was
not relevant. The name "Shekau" had become a "brand name for the
terrorists", he told a news conference.
"The Nigerian military
remains resolute to serve justice to anyone who assumes that designation
or title, as well as all the terrorists that seek to violate the
freedom and territory of Nigeria," he added.
The
United States last year put up a $7 million reward for Shekau's capture
as part of its Rewards for Justice programme and designated him a
"global terrorist".
There has long been speculation in Nigeria and beyond about whether he was actually still alive.
It has been claimed that he actually died in 2003 and his name has since been used by at least two others.
They
include Boko Haram members called Abdullahi Damasak, who was succeeded
on his death by a Mustapha Chad, according to sources close to the group.
Olukolade
told the briefing that Bashir had several identities: "Bashir Mohammed,
alias Abubakar Shekau, alias Abacha Abdullahi Geidam, alias Damasak,
etc."
- Continued scepticism -
Whether
the announcement will end speculation about Shekau's true identity or
death is unclear and there was no independent verification of the
claims.
The military showed footage of an amateur video recording of the fighting in Konduga, in which bodies littered the streets.
"That
character tallies with the one that has been showing himself on the
video," said Olukolade, pointing to a bearded man lying dead on the
ground alongside another slain fighter.
A
close-up still photograph of the man's face was also shown alongside a
screengrab from a Boko Haram video of Shekau holding an assault rifle.
An arrow pointed to a small growth on the forehead of both men.
Analysts
said earlier this week that they were sceptical about claims that he
had been killed, as the same photograph shown by the military circulated
online.
Ryan Cummings, chief
Africa analyst at Red24 risk consultants in South Africa, said he
thought it unlikely that Boko Haram's commander would be in the thick of
battle in Konduga or anywhere else.
But
Jacob Zenn, from the Jamestown Foundation think-tank in the United
States, said the death of a body double in Konduga was plausible.
"It's
important to note, however, that Shekau may have had 'doubles' who
appeared in some videos. And the army has a record of being incorrect
about claims of Shekau's death," he said.
Wait and see if another video emerges "from Shekau -- or someone who purports to be Shekau", he said.
Nigeria's
military has been under pressure to regain territory lost to the
Islamists in the far northeast in recent weeks, and has been trying to
push back against the extremists.
Addressing
the annual UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday, Nigerian
President Goodluck Jonathan vowed to step up the fight against Boko
Haram, without mentioning Shekau.
"Let
me underline today that we shall not waver until we end this mindless
war on innocents and bring all the perpetrators to justice. We will
triumph over terrorism," he said.
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