The Defence Headquarters yesterday launched a probe into the alleged “killing ” of the Spiritual Leader of Boko Haram, Imam Abubakar Shekau in the encounters in Konduga with insurgents.
Intelligence sources have been analyzing the features of a top commander of the sect who was mauled down in the encounters on September 17.
The fallen commander was said to have “the same character as someonewho has been posing as Shekau.”
A few months ago, the Directorate of State Security had declared Shekau dead in a battle. It declared the person who appeared in a video as an impostor.
The DHQ pledged to address the nation after ascertaining the truth or otherwise of the claim by troops.
According to senior military and intelligence sources, “a commander sharing the features of Shekau was hit and fallen.”
One of the sources said: “The DHQ has received reports of alleged fallen of Boko Haram leader, Imam Shekau by troops.
The Defence Headquarters will soon address the nation after full investigation of their latest discovery.
The source gave background to the ongoing probe by the DHQ.
He said: “Nigerian troops might have scored a strategic victory in the current battle against terrorists operating in the Northeast on September 17.
“During a desperate attempt to capture Konduga in their delusion to eventually marching on and capturing Maiduguri, the man who had been mimicking Late Abubakar Shekau in recent videos might have been killed.
“It is getting more certain that the terrorists’ commander who has been mimicking Shekau in those videos was the one killed in Konduga on September 17, 2014.”
“The suspected demise of the Boko Haram leader is responsible for the scattering of the sect members in different independent locations in the neighbouring countries, especially in Cameroon noticed in recent days.
Another military source said: “The process of confirming that the body we have is the same as that character who has been posing as Shekau is ongoing.
“He is definitely a prominent terrorist commander. I don’t want to say anything about this yet please.”
A third high-ranking military source insisted that the “resemblance is too striking to be a coincidence.
“The troops cited his facial marks, beards and teeth apart from the recovery by the Nigerian troops of some of the Armoured Vehicles and Hilux jeeps that had featured in previous videos of the prime suspect.”
Source: The Nation
