Sheikh Abubakar Shekau, leader of the violent Islamic sect, Boko Haram, has reportedly been shot and deposed by members of his own sect, Boko Haram.
A new leader, Abu Zamira Mohammed, who is the sect’s leader negotiating with the federal government has been appointed new leader by the group’s Shura Council.
The group also said that its ceasefire declaration is working, pointing out that there has not been any suicide bombing since the declaration. It noted its condemnation of the Yobe massacre where 40 students were killed, adding that some politicians now commit murder and ascribe it to Boko Haram
A joint report published yesterday, by Dr. Stephen Davis, a conflict resolution expert and an adviser to the last three Nigerian Presidents and Phillip van Niekerk, President of Calabar Africa, a strategic advisory company focusing on Africa, and former Editor of South Africa’s Mail & Guardian newspaper, in the US based online newspaper, huffingtonpost.com, quoted one Imam Liman Ibrahim, spiritual leader of Boko Haram, as saying that the change in leadership was prelude to peace negotiations with the federal government.
A faction of Boko Haram has entered into a back-channel dialogue with the government in the search for an elusive peace to a conflict that has seen multiple suicide bombings, attacks on government buildings and churches, and has claimed thousands of lives since 2011.
The Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Restoration of Peace in the North-East, Tanimu Turaki, last month announced that his committee had reached an “understanding for ceasefire” with members of the Jama’atu Ahlul Sunnah Lih Da’awa Wal Jihad, JAS, more commonly known as Boko Haram. JAS leadership also nominated five people to enter peace discussions with the Federal Government: Abu Liman Ibrahim, Abu Zamira Mohammed, Abu Adam Maisandari, Kassim Imam Biu and Mallam Modu Damaturu. In its press statement, JAS said the ceasefire would be in effect for 60 days, and that during the period, any attacks in its name or in the name of its leader, Imam Shekau, would be bogus attacks.
Boko Haram has been in preliminary discussions with government emissaries since the organisation declared a ceasefire on June 26. Abu Zamira Mohammed told the paper that his group was still waiting for the Federal Government’s response to the ceasefire declaration. The contacts are still at an early, fragile stage, and there is no guarantee that the talks will achieve a breakthrough.
The writers said: “It has now come to light that Boko Haram’s leadership sent representatives to the capital Abuja on June 25, 2013 where they revealed to the government that Shekau was no longer their leader.”
Imam Liman Ibrahim, the spiritual leader of Boko Haram, explained that the teaching of Shekau was becoming increasingly harsh and began to depart from the Holy Qu’ran.
“It was harsh, harsh, harsh,” Imam Liman said when explaining the reasons for the change of leadership.
“The beheadings, the killings, the recent death of students … this is not the way of the Holy Qu’ran. We could tolerate it no longer.
“Imam Liman explained that Shekau was given a choice of joining the peace dialogue with the Nigerian government, forming his own sect or being killed. Several senior Boko Haram commanders including Shekau’s Chief of Security and personal bodyguard, Abdullahi Hassan, have claimed that Shekau has since been shot in the lower leg, thigh and shoulder,” the paper went on.
The report said,” Shekau’s exact fate is not known. A video clip recovered from a Boko Haram camp in the Sambisa Forest Reserve in the northeast Nigeria, raided by the military on May 16, shows Shekau limping, providing confirmation of reports he had been shot.
“However, Shekau has been noticeably absent from recent public statements and is not one of the leaders who have engaged with government emissaries. It had been presumed that Shekau chose to voluntarily leave peace discussions in the hands of Boko Haram’s leadership group,” the duo wrote.
The JAS leadership were quoted as citing the Qu’ran as their inspiration for seeking peace. “In the Holy Qu’ran, Sura At Tauba: Wa-injanahuu-Lisalmi Faji Nahlahaa, we are encouraged to seek peace. The Holy Qu’ran also tells us it is good to negotiate. Sura At Nisa Ayih: Wa-sulhu Haira.”
In June, the Boko Haram leadership demanded that women held by the military under the state of the emergency in the north be released. President Jonathan authorised the release, which opened the door to the ceasefire and the peace dialogue.
The report also said “the Boko Haram leadership has appointed Abubakar Babasani Ibn Yusuf as spokesman to replace Zamirah. Babasani says the leadership has been consulting all senior commanders to assure compliance with the ceasefire. He said commanders as far afield as Niger, Chad, Sudan and Cameroon have agreed to the ceasefire and discussions with the Nigerian government on the subject of a peace deal.”
The June 26 ceasefire announcement has been accompanied by an absence of suicide bombings, giving credibility to the new leadership and their intention of signing a peace accord. However, the administration’s tardiness in responding to the group’s ceasefire announcement is believed to have precipitated three car bomb attacks in the northern city of Kano this week that left at least 15 people dead.
Other attacks have persisted including the recent horrific killings of students in Yobe where about 40 students were incinerated in their school building. The latest Boko Haram statement is highly critical of the Yobe deaths and denies responsibility for the attacks.
The leadership blames such atrocities on politicians in the northeast whom they accuse of arming gangs and committing crimes in the name of Boko Haram.
Shekau was deputy leader under Boko Haram founder Imam Mohammed Yusuf who was captured in July 2009 in fighting in the northeast of Nigeria and executed by Nigeria’s Police force in what appears to have been an extrajudicial killing. The interrogation and Yusuf’s bullet-riddled body were filmed on video.
Yusuf’s death radicalized the Boko Haram leaders and led them to move underground and identify more closely with Al Qaeda. Following the founder’s killing, Shekau emerged as the new leader of a revitalised Boko Haram in 2010 and he and other commanders refocused the group towards global jihad.
Shekau launched a series of well-planned assassinations and suicide bombings that targeted Nigerian police headquarters and the UN offices in Abuja among many other locations. Through a series of video appearances on television stations, notably Al Jazeera, Shekau emerged as the face of Boko Haram. Earlier this year, the U.S. placed a $7-million bounty on his head.
The military’s Joint Task Force has recently arrested Alhaji Mala Othman, Chairman of the opposition All Nigeria People’s Party in Borno state, the epicentre of the insurrection, on terrorism charges.
“Jonathan declared a state of emergency on May 14 and launched a military offensive that has seen some successes. But reprisal attacks by Boko Haram, including the freeing of 105 of their members from prison, indicate that without a peace deal, Boko Haram has the resources to continue the fight,” the duo wrote. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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We want to see this beast (Shekau) in the hands of the JTF. For critics of Islam, they will now see that Islam preaches peace and seeking for peace instead of violence and killings as the sect has stated, citing the Holy Quran. So, when some ill-informed people set out killing innocent citizens, it should not be assumed that Islam condones violence.
ReplyDeleteDoes that means that part of Quran sited was newly written in the Quran?
DeleteU better not commit blasphemy
DeleteKudos to the Nigerian Army, I bid you all God speed as you overcome those itching to destroy our land.
ReplyDelete@el matosky: i used to get displeased with most of your lines of thought, but for this eloquent,magnificent,immaculate and pristine response, i doff my hat....well spoken..*kola for u baba*
ReplyDeleteGbamB
ReplyDeleteThis is as if it's el-matosky himself writing this. First time he spoke well in a nice manner in this forum. Really,even now I'm not convinced about Islam being a peaceful religion merely bcos they removed Shekau. Their spiritual leader who I believe must be a true Islamic cleric still supports violence & taking of human life as was clearly indicated between the lines of the above write up and yet u want to be called a peaceful religion when all your religion portrays is HATE for others. Just like El matosky indicated,must their differences be pursued through meting out violence everywhere they are worldwide? Are they the only religion that don't seem to be entirely satisfied with worldly events& activities?
ReplyDeleteWell if anyone can read this that one is no child, and I'm sure he's in tune with what's happening in our society today! Peace or religion of peace as my el matosky speltout well above - we should all ask ourselves is it by chance that a group of people that are doing samething as another group elswhere in the world which they have not seen nor know but only share a religion or a belief with? Is it mere chance that it occurs again and again? Same religion fighting every other and anyother religion it finds around! Men make we use our tongue count our teeth o!
ReplyDelete@Yanny think and check your facts well before you blabe. (Just an advice)
On all d lines about shekau am not convinced yet. We need more evidence to show that d idiot is no more. Don't be surprise they made up those lines to take pples Eyes off from the d man while he still plots his Evil with another face...
ReplyDeleteI don't believe he is dead. We want proof. A boko haram told govt that their former leader is dead and govt believe that! Wow. They saw him limping on video does that mean that he is dead? I will give my kudos to military personnel and the govt when I have better proof not the statement of a fellow boko haram.
ReplyDelete@yany. So in ur head, killing means peaceful? U jst dey run ur mouth chur chur chur. U r seeing pure evil religion dat mke trouble here and dere in the world taking life in d name of practicing deir faith u dey dere dey say peaceful. Whot do U understand by d word Peace? Olodo ppl. God bless Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteThey are fighting for god. Their god is dead, that's why dey nid to fight for him. Religion of peace indeed. Repent, Christ can still forgive you and save your soul
ReplyDeleteThis is the fulfilment of Ps.2 vs 1 - 6. The Lord has set them in derision. That is just the beginning, they will all be destroyed if they don't repent.
ReplyDeletewho are they trying to deceive by saying that shekau had been shot dead? all lies!!!!!! its just to divert attention from the wanted killer to something else. pls pls pls nigerians esp the forces.... pls dont be deceived by their cheap tactics........... the good Lord will continue to be ur strength in JESUS name.....
ReplyDeleteThey are cowards. Why do they surrender? Don't forget Shekau was not killing piple by himself, he was using some Muslim boys to carry out the killings. Shekau would not have succeeded if he was not fully supported by the other members. Has d 'holy' quran changed. Didn't they read quran well before. Because the Federal Govt has captured dem.
ReplyDeleteIslam is never peaceful. Take islam away from the world, and the world would celebrate peace! Quote me...
ReplyDelete@ Yany good one there, very lovely talk indeed but very unfortunate El-Matosky and his cohort are ill informed, I pray God to open their eyes.You have no reason to condemn any religion.
ReplyDeleteLook at where you stay including your work environment; how many Muslim people are around you and how many of them are hostile to you? I am not seeing you but be sincere to your self and provide answer to my question.
Boko Haram are not Muslim, Boko Haram are formed for political interest, just that many people are naturally naive and are not ready to learn otherwise, if you had listened to the late NSA (Respected General Azazy) in Delta submit, Asaba perhaps, you may have relieved from ideological bondage and understand the reasons for Boko Haram and you will be convinced that they are not Muslim.
Am not surprise hearing this kind story,shekau shot deposed all this is political ,why didn't they kill him and show the nation his picture
ReplyDeleteNigerians how long shall we stop being deceived,those guys are smart,is it not the fast they are observing to launch again,claiming they have ceased fired fuck shit!
F.G.N should also know they are global terrorist ,and keep their eyes on that killer shekau.
We have (satellite 1)why can'nt they be monitored and cleared out of this nation,so we can begin to talk of development,and not begging one who killed our brothers to come and live amongs us.
Nigeria is too old for this negative stories some of us do believe!
Don't be fooled by this claim that Shekau was shot by anybody or factional group of BOKO HARAM anywhere. We know how this group deals with estrange members when they want kill them. Unless they show us where Shakua is being slaughtered like a salah ram, we would not take this claim to mean any cherry news. This is to me a total propaganda to take the heat off Shekau and allow him time to recoup and to launch his usual offensive of terror.
ReplyDeleteIts really hard to trust news from Nigeria. Even in the same report you have different information:
ReplyDeleteOn the Kano blasts last Monday, which led to the death of about 45 people, the group blamed it on federal government’s tardiness in responding to the ceasefire agreement
Vs
The June 26 ceasefire announcement has been accompanied by an absence of suicide bombings, giving credibility to the new leadership and their intention of signing a peace accord. However, the administration’s tardiness in responding to the group’s ceasefire announcement is believed to have precipitated three car bomb attacks in the northern city of Kano this week that left at least 15 people dead.
45 people dead vs 15 people dead in the same article. So how do we even believe the whole story of Shekau being shot?? The other day, i saw on this same portal that Shekau spoke and there were videos confirmed to be from him.
I dont believe the story.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYour attitudes are poor towards muslims. When problems arise, all u do is retract to ur shells to condemn. None of u is bold enough to take the bull by the horn. Hw many christians are among the JTF u are praising. They are majorly muslims reading the quran u unreasonably condemn. Their God is Allah. If quran preaches killing of non muslims, JTF should join in killing xtians(common sense) and no muslim will be killed by boko haram(common sense). your hate for islam has blinded ur senses. I admonish you to pleases use ur brain for what they are meant for.
ReplyDeleteWell said!
ReplyDeleteMay God bless u bro.
ReplyDeleteWho condemn islam, mr man? The bone of contention is that Boko haram claims and insist they want to islamize Nigeria,though impossible. But is that not their primary aim? If d Nigerian president is a muslim, like Buhary, Boko haram would never fight in Nigeria
ReplyDeleteWho condemn islam, mr man? The bone of contention is that Boko haram claims and insist they want to islamize Nigeria,though impossible. But is that not their primary aim? If d Nigerian president is a muslim, like Buhary, Boko haram would never fight in Nigeria
ReplyDelete@ anonymous 6:13pm. I like ur view but u need to agree with me that if the president has been a xtian from the north, BH may not have existed too. I mean the fight is for north producing president not for islam
ReplyDeletewhen ll they stop decieving us let us see the corp and we nigerians to berry him by our self
ReplyDeleteI have in my life never come across a set of embryonic imbeciles cum cunts that think wit their asses instead of their brains like dis el-matosky and the so-called useless legacy! Ohhh! You think you know something? Thanx for exposing your ignorance to the wider world. Why you keep associating Islam wit violence always beats my imagination!!! The cruellest of violence and the gravest of murders in the history of the world were done by non-muslims! No one talks about that! Yeah? Go back to history, read wide and get urselves unshackled from the bondage of ignorance that seems to send U̶̲̥̅̊ guyz grappling into a suffocating dungeon wit no possibility of escape! Look at it from a matured and neutral point of view. Every seeker of the truth today knows that the 'west' perceives Islam as a 'threat' to their existence. Thus, they try all they could to cause instability, chaos and confusion in Muslim lands and then use the media to paint Islam black! Now most (if not all) of d so-called terrorist organisations like Taliban, Al-qaeda are mere creations of the west. They are fully funded by them. They invaded Islamic lands like Iraq(in the name of WMD) and Afghanistan. They set up myriads of conspiracies to make sure Islam does not see the light of the day! Interestingly, the fastest arena where Islam is growing lyk wildfire today is in the heart of the west! So, my unlearned mr 'bad legacy' if U̶̲̥̅̊ think by removing Islam, the world will be at peace, then there may neva be peace in the world!!! Heartless sets of ppl hav tried to do dat, go and find out what hav bcum of dem. Bush tried all he could, it only made Islam stronger! Many will do it and it will not have any effect! It is not the Muslims that protect Islam, it is its originator who promised to preserve it. And I bet you, islam will consume the world before your very eyes!!! Just watch and see! Boko haram, local as it is, has a big political undertone! Everyone knows that except ppl lyk U̶̲̥̅̊ guyz who are bent on blaming Islam on every silly thing done by a muslim. There are a lot of things attached to Boko haram. We heard of Jerry Gana bailing Muhammad Yusuf from custody. What on earth joined dis duo together? Nobody cared to ask but everyone is ever ready to be the 1st to condemn Islam! For your information, Islam has come stay, nobody, I repeat, no one can wipe it off the face of the earth! But if you think you can, then ga fili ga doki, let's see Ђδω far you will go!!! It's Suraj
ReplyDelete@yany,yemolala4me,anonymous 3:56pm:You guys has really spoken well,thump up for your comments on this article but what you guys felt to understant is that, most of those idiots that attarched or condem ISLAM and MUSLIMS in totality for the misbehaving of some few individuals with a political motives hiding under the canopy of ISLAM with the aims of achieving their selfish intrest are doing that only to display their level of hypocrise and hatred for ISLAM and the MUSLIMS and to clearly show and tell how poisioned is their minds towards ISLAM and the MUSLIMS for no good reason what-so ever. No day will pass by without reading or hearing from our media houses about graveious, heavy attrocyties and worse offences committed against GOD ALMIGHTY and against humanity by their so called pastors, fake prophets and their men of gods, but yet we the MUSLIMS did not attarched those devilish acts or condem xtianity or the xtains in totality. So you guys can bear me witness that no amount of explanations will make those idiots agree or accept the simple and the plain truth no matter what cos they have delibrately and intentionally blinded their eyes and sealed their hart from seeing,hearing and accepting the truth especailly when it has something to do with ISLAM and the MUSLIMS bcos of that diseas of hypocrise and hatred in their minds. Who ever among you that think he can convice those hypocrites is only wasting his precious time,only GOD ALMIGHTY can guide them to the truth. May HE guide and steady our feets and that of the MUSLIMS UMMAH on the right path,Ameen!
ReplyDeleteIt serves them right.
ReplyDelete