Tension: Army reacts to new Boko Haram leadership
– An atmosphere of doubt and unease has been stirred by the news of a new leadership for Boko Haram
– The Nigerian army has made comments regarding the new development
– Defence headquarters has said there is no cause for alarm
Following recent news of Abubakar Shekau’s exit and the picking of Abu Musab al-Barnawi as the new leader of Boko Haram, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said that the military is not in anyway perturbed.
ISIS has named Abu Musab al-Barnawi as the new leader of the Boko Haram sect.
Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig-Gen Rabe Abubakar said that the military is not interested in what happens at what he described as “nearly dead” Boko Haram terrorists, including change of leadership or alliance with ISIS.
Abubakar said that the military is only focused on complete destruction of the terror group irrespective of leadership and administrative changes.
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He said: “The leadership change of BHT as purpotedly released recently doesnt in any way bother us as the group is nearly dead in Nigeria and others within the Lake Chad nations. So, whether there is change in leadership or not, we are sure of total annihilation of the group.
“Our focus is to clear them from their hideouts which we have been doing through the ongoing Opetation Crackdown and Operation Gama Aiki with Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF). It’s not anything to us and we will continue to reduce them to nothing.”
Speaking further, Abubakar said that the military have been capturing the terrorists “on daily basis…so the change is not anything to us…”
He said that the DHQ is aware that Boko Haram “are in diasrray and collapsing”.
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“So they are trying to behave like a dying person who holds to any thing in his desparation to stay alive. People should not take them seriously as they no longer poses any threats. However, we dismissed this change of leadership as a child play,” he said.
Meanwhile, the new leader Al-Barnawi is reported to have featured in the latest issue of an ISIS magazine, which made no reference to Shekau.
ISIS had earlier on Wednesday announced a new leader for the insurgent group as Abu Musab al-Barnawi, who was previously a spokesman for Boko Haram, replacing eccentric Abubakar Shekau.
ISIS revealed the identity of the new leader, but did not say what has happened to the group’s former leader, Abubakar Shekau, who was last heard from in an audio message in August 2015.
Meanwhile, Men of the Nigerian army says it has arrested a high profile suspected Boko Haram terrorist, Mohammed Mohammed Zauro at Sabon Gari, Damboa Local Government Area, Borno state.
According to the military, the suspect was picked up at about 8.30am on Tuesday.
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