How Army Took Down Shekau – Investigations

New details on how the impostor of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau lost his life have been revealed.
The Nigerian Army took down a commander who acted as Shekau in all the latest Boko Haram videos during a shootout in Konduga last week.

Shekau and imposter

It is said that the deceased was ambushed by the military, the same strategy applied by the sect on the army for some time now.
The first attack on Konduga by the army surprised the militants who numbered in their hundreds.
After an extensive seven hours of fighting hundreds of insurgents lost their lives. Their arms and ammunition were also seized.
The military men had wisely forced captured members of the sect to send a message to Shekau that they (insurgents) have routed the troops.
The captured members were promised a less severe sentence if they cooperated and hence they were convinced.
READ ALSO: Boko Haram Insurgents Lay Down Weapons
The captured insurgents had explained that Shekau normally moves in a convoy of vehicles painted in military colours, while he sits in a MOWAG armoured tank with Boko Haram inscription on its front.

Boko Haram’s APC captured in Konduga by soldiers

Then Shekau was called and spoken to in Arabic, reassuring him that Konduga is under the sect’s reign. These were all done with other captured men singing the victory song in Kanuri language they normally sing at the background.
This fully convinced the imposter Shekau that all is well and the message is authentic because it came from his chief courier. He took his boys along to Konduga, heavily armed with anti-aircraft weapons, general purpose machine guns, multiple Kalashnikov (AK 47) rifles and explosive devices.
As he and his members entered the town, they were ambushed by the military. Immediately he noticed something was wrong, it has already been too late.
He then ordered his men to get out of the vehicles and to start shooting in all directions.
This was enough for the army to start responding with fire, and when he understood the his guns could not overpower the infantry and artillery weaponry used by the Nigerian forces, he jumped out of the MOWAG and made to escape.
However, eagle-eyed Nigerian soldiers spotted him and opened fire, shattering his legs in the process. It was learnt that he also received bullet wounds in other parts of his body leading to his bleeding to death.

Flag of terrorists on one of the vehicles captured by Nigerian troops in Konduga

Cameroonian military personnel had claimed to have been the ones to carry out the raid, but the Defence Headquarters yesterday dismissed the insinuation.
On their Twitter handle, the DHQ said: “There was no raid whatsoever in any part of Nigeria’s territory in pursuit of terrorists as claimed in some reports allegedly quoting Cameroon military authorities.
“All operations ongoing in the environs of Konduga & all associated border location within the country are completely being undertaken by Nigerian troops.”
READ ALSO: Emir Of Kano Explains Why There Is Boko Haram
UPDATE: Journalist Close To Sect Reports Shekau Still Alive
Popular Dubai-based Nigerian journalist, Ahmed Salkida, claims that Boko Haram leaders have told him the real Abubakar Shekau is still alive and well.
Salkida is sure that the man taken down by the Nigerian troops is not the real leader of the sect.
He revealed this through his twitter handle and also reported that the group has not negotiated with the army or the Red Cross for the liberation of about 219 girls, who were kidnapped in mid-April by Boko Haram militants from their school in Chibok, Borno State.
The man whose dead body has been making the rounds is said to be one Mohammed Bashir. Mohammed Bashir is said to be the look-alike who appeared in videos released by the Islamist sect.