Why Boko Haram Leader Shekau Is Not Dead – Shehu Sani

Kaduna-based human rights activist and President of the Civil Right Congress of Nigeria (CRC) has faulted the insinuations that the leader of the Boko Haram sect Abubakar Shekau is dead.

Shehu Sani who spoke to journalists in his Kaduna office yesterday said if indeed Shekau was killed, it would have been announced by the Shura Council and a successor would have naturally been appointed.


Sani said: “On the death of Abubakar Shekau, if at all he was killed by the JTF, there would have be an announcement by the Shura Council that Shekau had been martyred, and they would have naturally appoint a successor. Nigerians should not believe that Shekau is dead until the JTF, or government or dialogue committee presents Shakau’s body before Nigerians.”

The civil right activist also said that the killing of Shekau would not end insurgency in Nigeria unless the fundamental issues are addressed with utmost sincerity of purpose and intent.

“We should not misinform ourselves,” he said. “The killings of Shekau will not end insurgency in Nigeria, as long as there is one person who is aggrieved or two people who are aggrieved, in the Boko Haram group, there will still be having problems of this insurgency and violence.

“The only way out for this insurgency is for the government to dust the report which I brought to them through President Obasanjo and the second one that was brought to them through Dr Datti Ahmed which was facilitated by a freelance journalist Ahmed Sekida.”

He went on to list conditions necessary to stop the hostilities, starting from getting mediators acceptable to both the sect and government.

“A ceasefire needs to be agreed upon and announced by Boko Haram and not the government – because all the ceasefire that have been coming up for the past 2-3 years have been the ones announced by the government and dismissed by the Boko Haram.”

“To find a solution to this problem, government needs to ask the Boko Haram group to provide a list of their members who they believe should be released, but the government is only releasing innocent persons who have no links and no contacts with the Boko Haram; that will not address the problem.

“Another point which we have agreed at that very time, when talking about a cease fire, we must carry the military and police along, because if the government announces a cease fire, and the military and police are not informed about cease it, we are not going anywhere,” he added.

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