The
reported killing of a top Boko Haram leader said to be Abubakar Shekau
has again ignited a fresh controversy between Nigerian and Cameroonian
troops.
The Cameroon Concord had on
Monday quoted a military source as having said that Shekau was killed on
Saturday by the Cameroonian Army during a cross border aerial
bombardment of his hideout in Nigeria.
To prove the killing, the newspaper also
published photographs of the bearded man it said was Shekau who usually
appears in videos as the leader of Boko Haram.
It made reference to a statement by the Cameroonian military authorities on the killing but was silent on its content.
The paper added in the report that the
Cameroon army had been in serious combat against thousands of Boko
Haram fighters trying to enter Cameroon through Fotokol from Gamboru
Ngala in Borno State.
But Nigeria’s Defence authorities
dismissed the claim that the said Shekau was killed by Cameroonian
security forces within Nigeria.
The Director of Defence Information, Maj.
Gen. Chris Olukolade, stated that there was no raid on any terrorists’
hideout by Cameroon or any other foreign country within Nigerian soil.
Olukolade explained that the ongoing
operations against insurgents in Kodunga and its neighbouring
communities were being undertaken solely by Nigerian forces.
He said, “There was no raid whatsoever by
Cameroon or any foreign forces in any part of Nigeria’s territory in
pursuit of terrorists as claimed in some reports allegedly quoting
Cameroon authorities.
“All operations in the environs of
Kodunga and all associated border locations within the country are
completely undertaken by Nigeria troops.”
The Defence authorities had said in a
tweet last Wednesday that troops who repelled an attack by insurgents at
Konduga, Borno State, captured a high ranking terrorist leader who was
being treated in military medical facility.
The Nigerian troops had engaged the
insurgents in Kodunga, killing 150 of them and capturing a large cache
of arms, ammunition and vehicles on Thursday.
An intelligence source said that the
military was still involved in moves to ascertain the identity of ‘the
very prominent commander.”
“A seriously wounded high ranking
terrorist leader is being treated in a military medical facility after
he was captured in operation,” the tweet read.
The intelligence source, who also faulted
the Cameroonian soldiers’ claim, added that the pictures by the
Cameroonian newspaper could have been taken last year when Shekau was
said to have been injured at the Sambisa Forest but later died at
Amitchide in Cameroon.
The source added that the military leadership looked for the grave of Shekau without success in Cameroon.
He said that the Cameroonian authorities would have issued a statement on the killing of the top commander if it was true.
The last statement Cameroon released on
the issue of the insurgency was an encounter with the insurgents at a
border town called Kirawa where four civilians were reportedly killed.
The then Spokesman for the Joint Task
Force, Sagir Musa, had said in a statement that Shekau might have died
of gunshot wound during a shootout with insurgents at the Sambisa Forest
on June 30, 2014
The announcement of his death was faulted by the leadership of the sect which released video clips of Shekau.
A New York, United States-based Nigerian online news portal, SaharaReporters, however, quoted another military source as claiming that the killed commander was one Bashir Mohammed.
It said that Mohammed whose body was in Kodunga, was the leader of Boko Haram’s Uye camp.
Cameroonian authorities yesterday released a photo of a dead man they identified as Abubakar Shekau.
According to the report, Nigerian
soldiers, not Cameroonian troops, killed Mohammed last Friday in a
fierce battle against Boko Haram insurgents in Kodunga.
It said that Mohammed, who bore a
striking resemblance to Shekau and had appeared in a recent video, was
killed when he led insurgents who were attempting to capture Kodunga
and then seize Maiduguri.
The Defence Headquarters has however said that another set of insurgents numbering 10 surrendered to troops at Kawuri.
The Military authorities said in a tweet on Monday that insurgents had been taken into custody for security debriefing.
“Another set of 10 terrorists yesterday
(Sunday) surrendered to troops at Kawuri. In custody for necessary
security debriefing, victory for Nigeria,” the tweet read.
Five insurgents had on Saturday surrendered to the military.
300 killed in Kaduna village, says CAN
Meanwhile, the Christian Association of
Nigerian in the Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State claimed on
Monday that over 300 villagers were killed a forthnight ago by gunmen
who raided the LGA.
This was contained in a letter by the
Chairman of CAN, Rev. Fadan Amana, which was handed over to Governor
Mukhtar Yero, who visited to commiserate with the people over
the attack.
But Yero was greeted by protesting women who claimed that the visit was belated.
In the letter which was obtained by
journalists in Kaduna, the CAN leader insisted that the killing was
carried out by terrorists .
The letter read in part, “We have
suffered gruesome massacre as members of the Christian community in
Sanga LGA as a body. We, the members of CAN, Sanga LGA chapter, wish
to passionately appeal that, as a matter of urgency, you kindly use your
good offices to arrest these terrible attacks on our peace-loving and
defenceless people.
“Over 300 lives of Christians have been
wasted through these attacks. Our children, women, including pregnant
women, and the aged, our clergymen, churches, pastors’ homes and our
properties have been the main targets of these attacks.”
PUNCH
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