Will The Sheep Scatter After The Shepherd Has Been Struck?
Not many think so. “Konduga was a turning point for the Nigeria Army but the journey to an assured future is still long and tough. Nigeria must take this fight away from pages of newspapers and confront it overly. We are yet to get it right but Iet us pray for victory for Nigeria,” Salkida said as many Nigerians were patting the military on the back over their recent successes in the battle against the Islamists last week. “So far, no town taken by Boko Haram has been reclaimed by the Nigerian Army. We were only able to prevent Konduga and Maiduguri from falling.

•Jonathan: Was not sure Shekau was dead

“Success in the war against terrorism should be felt by those that are affected the most, and not just in the media,” he added while emphasising that it is only when the military is able to reclaim territories under occupation of Boko Haram in the North-East and restore peace and order by civil authorities that it can claim the ultimate victory over the insurgents.

For Cummings, “Even if he was (killed) on a previous occasion, it is quite evident that Boko Haram has continued to operate with a degree of efficacy, despite the purported loss of their so-called leader.” In his view, even if Shekau was killed there are other commanders of the sect capable of taking over from him. The several senior commanders are now even thought to be responsible for strategic planning under him. “In this regard, the loss of Shekau would unlikely transcend into an operational decline of the sect, as there would be a command structure in place to continue Boko Haram’s strategic objectives,” Cummings added.