A captured Boko Haram fighter says Abubakar Shekau, leader of the sect, can no longer walk effectively.
Mohammed Adam, a teenage fighter,
who is currently in custody of troops of 195 battalion of the Nigerian army,
said Shekau got injured during an air bombardment on an insurgents’ camp in
Tumbuktu, Sambisa forest, a Boko Haram stronghold in Borno state.
In a video, Adam
was heard saying Shekau can no longer lead any operation physically.
Shekau, known for taunting the
military in videos, has not been seen on his feet lately as he has released
video where he is seen sitting or in some cases, using audio to pass across his
message.
Adam was abducted by Boko Harma
at the age of 10. He was working on the farm in Firgi, Gwoza local government
area of Borno, when Boko Haram fighters took him away forcefully.
The teenage fighter, who spent
five years in captivity, claimed he knows Shekau personally and participated in
several operations under the command of the factional Boko Haram leader.
He also claimed to be among the
Boko Haram fighters who escorted the kidnapped Chibok schoolgirls to a camp in
Tumbuktu.
The suspect
In a bid to confirm his claims of
being a fighter, Adam demonstrated combat skills he acquired during training on
weapons handling, marksmanship and improvised explosive device (IED) planting.
“I am a well-trained insurgents
war front soldier who specialised in weapons handling including AK-47 riffles
and GPMG as well as planting IED’s along troops patrol route,” he said in
Hausa.
“We are also given training on
other unconventional techniques to inflict heavy casualties on troops.”
Adam claimed he participated in
several Boko Haram operations, including elimination of some army engineers in
the south of Borno.
He said he escaped from one of
the camps in Sambisa forest due to hardship and hunger, resulting from cholera outbreak,
which left over 500 militants and their families in critical condition.
“I escaped with the intention of
being rescued by the troops of the Nigerian army which will in turn afford me
the opportunity of fulfilling my dreams of going to school to acquire
knowledge,” he said.
He said that other escapees,
mostly minors, were in Banki in Bama local government area of the state.
The militant group has continued
to recruit children who are trained to become field soldiers.
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But he can still kidnap and execute rice farmers effectively.
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