As the Nigerian military claims that it has killed Abubakar Shekau, analysts ponder if the demise of the militant leader, if true, will help Nigeria defeat Boko Haram

Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

As Nigeria’s war against terror goes, last week was characterised on one hand by series of claims of victories by the military against the insurgents and on the other hand, by controversies. In what seemed a replay of events when they were first abducted, an alleged claim by the Defence Headquarters last Tuesday evening that some of the over 200 girls kidnapped in Chibok, Borno State, by the Boko Haram sect on 14 April have been freed, temporarily set the nation agog. However, the joy lasted for just a few hours as General Chris Olukolade, spokesperson for Nigeria Defence Headquarters, cited as the source of the information, told journalists that all the girls are still in the custody of their abductors about five months after.

Ironically, the same Defence spokesperson had similarly mired the military in controversies few days after the girls were kidnapped with a late night statement in which he informed the world that all the kidnapped girls havd been rescued, an assertion that turned out to be false.

•The lifeless body of Shekau (foreground in blue)

The Many Deaths And Resurrection Of Shekau
But there is no doubt that the biggest controversy that many believe may have a positive effect in the battle against the terrorists was the news of the death of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, during confrontation with soldiers. For one, it was the third time in a space of about four years that the Nigerian military would announce that it has killed Shekau, who took over as the leader after Mohammed Yusuf, the original leader of the deadly sect, who was killed in 2009.

In the latest of such claims before that of last week, the the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Borno State, Operation Restore Order, which was in charge of combating the insurgents before the establishment of the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army, had on 19 August last year announced the death of Shekau from injuries sustained during a military onslaught on his group. Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, the spokesperson for the defunct JTF, had in a statement declared to the relief of many Nigerians that intelligence reports indicated that the leader of Boko Haram died as a result of injuries inflicted on him by gunshots in an encounter with troops in one of their camps at Sambisa Forest on 30 June 2013. “Shekau was mortally wounded in the encounter and was sneaked into Amitchide, a border community in Cameroun, for treatment from which he never recovered from,” said Musa, who revealed that the spiritual leader of Boko Haram might have died between 25 July and 3 August.

However, the claim raised doubts in the minds of many as a video recording of Shekau was released few days after the 4 August attacks on two military camps in Mallam Fatori, Borno State, by suspected members of Boko Haram. A man who claimed to be Shekau in the video had, on behalf of Boko Haram, claimed responsibility for the attacks on the camps and other areas in Yobe State. He had in the video also described the attack on the Mallam Fatori military camp as “child’s play”, threatening to attack the United States of America while asking his followers to continue their war against Nigeria.

While trying to douse skepticism that might have been induced by the video on the military claim that Shekau is dead, Musa said: “The recent video released on 13 August, 2013 by the purported sect leader was dramatised by an impostor to hoodwink the sect members to continue their acts of terrorism and to deceive undiscerning minds.”

However, the Defence Headquarters in Abuja kept mum on the purported killing of the leader of the Islamic sect at the time, though it was gathered that it was also in possession of the same information. However, the Defence Headquarters refused to confirm the claim at the time. JTF was winding down its operations in the North-East to be replaced by the 7th division of the Nigerian Army at the time. Thus, some top military chiefs had faulted Musa’s announcement, accusing him of trying to take glory for the task force which was about to round off its assignment.

But in another video released on 25 September last year, Shekau denied the claim that he was dead while threatening to continue and sustain the regime of killing and maiming of Nigerians by members of his insurgent group until the country stopped its practice of democracy. The man who claimed to be the same spiritual leader of Boko Haram who had appeared in other previous videos even mocked President Goodluck Jonathan and other world leaders such as President Barack Obama of the United States, President Francois Hollande of France and Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, while boasting of his invincibility.