Rival military group claims Boko Haram leader is dead - a podcast by RNZ

from 2021-06-08T07:37

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The leader of the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau is dead - according to his rival Islamist militants.
In audio obtained by news agencies, the Islamic State West Africa Province said Shekau died detonating explosives on himself after a battle between the two groups.
Under Shekau, Boko Haram staged bombings, kidnappings and prison breaks across the region.
More than 30,000 people have been killed and over two million displaced.
In 2014, his group kidnapped 2014 hundreds of girls from a school in Chibok, in Borno state, sparking the #BringBackOurGirls movement.
Many of them are still missing.
However, Shekau's death has been reported many times before - only for him to resurface.
While neither Boko Haram nor the Nigerian government have confirmed his death, Ismail Alfa Abdulrahim, a journalist in Maiduguri, Northeast Nigeria believes this time - the news is true.
He spoke to Guyon Espiner.

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