Abubakar Shekau, the deceased leader of Boko Haram
• Shekau's death was announced on May 19, 2021
• The Nigerian army said it was seeking concrete evidence to comment on the issue
• The reports said he was killed by rival ISWAP fighters, which has been confirmed by the group
The death of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau was reported last month with local media outlets citing inside sources within the camp of the terror group and rival group, Islamic State in the West African Province, ISWAP.
The Nigerian Army has yet to confirm the death stating at the time that they wanted incontrovertible evidence to make any concrete pronouncement on the issue.
Last week, ISWAP confirmed Shekau death corroborating reports that his forces had been overpowered in the Sambisa forest and Shekau captured, he had surrendered before blowing himself up.
In an audio release confirming the incident ISWAP said the raid on Shekau was on the instructions of the mother group, ISIS.
The main source of Shekau's death was Hum Angle portal - a platform dedicated to reporting on conflict across the Lake Chad Basin.
Its CEO, Ahmad Salkida is a reputable conflict reporter who has over the years reported on the activities of the group with insider information on ongoings.
According to his report: ISWAP leader, Abu Musab Albarnawi, in an internal address which was delivered in Hausa, described Shekau as “the leader of disobedience and corruption” and said his fighters rejoiced over his death.
He said the former terrorist leader, who took over after the death of Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf in 2009, was apprehended “in the most humiliating manner.”
“This was someone who committed unimaginable terrorism. How many has he wasted? How many has he killed? How many has he terrorised? But Allah left him alone and prolonged his life. When it was time, Allah set out brave soldiers after receiving orders from Amirul Muminin [leader of the believers],” he said.
ISWAP, which broke away from Shekau’s Boko Haram faction in 2016, disagreed with the late extremist leader over his excessive use of force, especially on Muslims in areas under his influence.
