Following the killing of the Boko Haram commander, Isa Damsaka who has been acting as the late Abubakar Shekau, the Nigerian Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has made a declaration that any other sect member that assumes the name “Shekau” will be meted with the same treatment as Damsaka.
This came as over one hundred and thirty five members of the sect surrendered to Nigerian soldiers.
Making the pronunciation, Chris Olukolade, the director of defence information while speaking to newsmen said since it has been noticed that Shekau has become somewhat of a brand name for the sect , the Nigerian military has maintained its resolve to serve justice to anybody who takes on the title.
He said the terrorists attempted to attack Konduga at least four times between Friday, September 12 and Wednesday, September 17, 2014, but each time, they were subdued by superior fire power of Nigeria’s air and land forces.
In his words: “In the course of those encounters, one Mohammed Bashir who has been acting or posing on videos as the deceased Abubakar Shekau, the eccentric character known as leader of the group died. Since the name Shekau has become a brand name for the terrorists’ leader, the Nigerian military remains resolute to serve justice to anyone who assumes that designation or title as well as all terrorists that seek to violate the freedom and territory of Nigeria”.
Answering questiions as to the alleged contribution of Cameroonian troops in the death of Shekau, Olukolade said: “To the best of our knowledge, we can say categorically that no foreign force of any type penetrated our country’s borders up to Konduga which is just about 35 kilometers to Maiduguri”.
He also attributed the current victories of Nigerian troops to dedication to training and better equipment.
