Again, ‘defeated’ Shekau reappears, mocks Buhari, Army

Yet again, the leader of the terrorist Boko Haram group, Abubakar Shekau has resurfaced, even after the Nigerian government and the Army declared that his group has been defeated, and driven from their stronghold in Sambisa Forest.

Shekau in a new video posted online in which he is surrounded by armed soldiers said claims by President Muhammadu Buhari, and the military that his group had been driven out of the Sambisa Forest was untrue.

He said in the 25-minute video, “We are safe. We have not been flushed out of anywhere. And tactics and strategies cannot reveal our location except if Allah wills by his decree”.

He continued, “You should not be telling lies to the people”, in obvious reference to President Buhari’s Christmas Eve missive that the group had been flushed from the forest, their last known bastion.

“If you indeed crushed us, how can you see me like this? How many times have you killed us in your bogus death?” he asked.

Read also:  Human Rights group carpet Obaseki for executing 3 prisoners with pending cases at A’Court

Shekau who spoke in Arabic and Hausa claimed that the video was shot on Christmas Day.

It is not the first time, the terrorist would make an appearance after the military, and government had claimed he had been killed in battle. In September he also denounced a claim by the Nigerian military that he had been wounded in battle.

This is after a picture purported to be that of his corpse had gone viral on the internet earlier. He had also reappeared to say he was hale and hearty, and vowed to continue fighting until an Islamic state is imposed in the northern part of Nigeria.

Buhari had told the country, that the sect had been routed from their last enclave in a months-long military campaign from the 1,300 square-kilometre (500 square-mile) forest in north-eastern Borno state.

RipplesNigeria….without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now