Defence Headquarters has maintained sealed lips over the claim by the Joint Task Force (JTF) that Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau is dead, but the military intelligence wing may have begun a search for his corpse to confirm the story and possibly exhume it if indeed he has died.
A top military source said last night that the search had begun for Shekau’s corpse. According to him, if indeed Shekau is dead and buried, his remains must be exhumed as an evidence that he is dead. “His corpse should be exhumed and presented to the whole world who are eagerly waiting for the good news. Everywhere would be combed especially the border towns and villages including those hills that once served as their operational headquarters,” the source said.
The spokesman of JTF, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, in an e-mail statement he made available to newsmen on Monday, claimed that Shekau had died from the mortal wounds he received during one of the recent clashes with the military and hurriedly rushed to a Cameroonian village where he eventually died.
“It is greatly believed that Shekau might have died between 25 July and 3 August, 2013. He was reported to have masterminded the kidnap of the seven French citizens and that of the elder statesman Alhaji (Dr) Shettima Ali Monguno in addition to many murders of Islamic clerics in Northern Nigeria. He was also responsible for bombings of many places of worship and public buildings including the Police and United Nations headquarters in Abuja. The JTF wishes to appeal to the sect members to lay down their arms and embrace the Federal Government’s offer for dialogue,” the officer stated.
Speaking last night on the phone, Sagir said he stood by the statement that Shekau is dead. He said, “I am driving now, so I cannot grant any press interview or answer any question. A statement has been issued on Shekau, he is dead and I stand by the statement” and hung up.
However, the Defence Headquarters that gave assignment to Sagir has not issued any statement either to confirm or deny the statement. All efforts made on Monday and Tuesday by the media to get a definite pronouncement proved abortive at press time.
A security source also confided in us last night: “Sagir issued the statement without any clarification or confirmation from Abuja and this is dangerous because if it is not true then he faces a stiff sanction.
“Everything we heard about Abubakar Shekau was from the media; there is no official position yet. This is because the officer who issued the statement failed to carry us along and, by doing so, he is putting his career on the line.
“If you said Shekau is dead, where is his corpse? Has he been buried? Where was he buried? Who told you the man is dead? These are the questions we are looking for their answers before you could hear from us. We all want an end to come to the Boko Haram sect and we want those who are behind them to face the consequence, but the truth must be told if Shekau is dead. When we heard and confirmed the death of his deputy, we made it known officially, and, until that of Shekau is confirmed, mum remains the issue.”
Insurgents: Defence team arrives in Borno over detained suspects
Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters Joint investigation team on assessment and fact-finding mission in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states has observed that there was colossal loss of lives and properties in the states affected by the declaration of state of emergency.
The leader of the team, Brigadier-General Abdulkadiri Abubakar, stated this yesterday when he led the team on a courtesy visit to Borno State governor Kashim Shettima at the Government House, Maiduguri, to intimate him with the team’s assignment in the state.
He also said that the team was capable of compiling a comprehensive report from all the files so far before it, for the detainees at all the detention camps and prisons in the states to face justice.
Abubakar said that the team deemed it fit and much appropriate to try all the detainees within the state and federal high courts of each of the states.
He said, “Having seen the preliminary files of all the suspected insurgents in all the detention camps and stations so far, the team may try some of the suspects (detainees) within the states and federal high courts based on the reports in their files.”
According to him, the team comprised senior officers and capable hands from the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Air Force, Nigeria Immigration Services, Nigerian Intelligence Agency, Nigerian Prisons Service, State Security Service, Joint Task Force, Nigeria Police Force, Defence Headquarters, Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Office of Attorney-General of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.
The leader of the team added that they were on the Convene Order of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Admiral Ola Ibrahim Sa’ad, on specified terms of studying all files on the detainees in all the detention camps and stations in the three states, assess the detainees, classify the detainees based on their offences, determine the gravity of the offences to be tried by the court of law and make recommendations where necessary on the suitable measures to be taken against the offenders/detainees.
Responding, Governor Shettima said Borno State has the highest number of detainees in detention camps and stations while expressing confidence on the team and defence headquarters in ensuring that the detainees get justice at the end of the day.
Shettima said, “I have confidence in the team and the Defence Headquarters that the insurgents or suspects will get justice. Hence there is a saying that ‘the innocent cannot suffer for the crime of the guilty and the guilty shall be punished for the crime he/she has committed according to the law’.”
The joint committee has been in Maiduguri and some parts of the state in the past seven days visiting many detention camps and stations of suspected insurgents arrested in the past six to nine months or since last year that are yet to be released or prosecuted.
But some concerned Nigerians and leaders including the Sultan of Sokoto, His Eminence Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, Shehu of Borno Alhaji Abubakar Garbai Umar El- Kanemi, and elder statesman Shettima Ali Monguno have been calling for the need to take necessary action on the detainees.
6 soldiers killed during encounter with Boko Haram in Sambisa forest
Following an alleged encounter with the Boko Haram insurgents in the Sambisa forest by the special force from Defence Headquarters, Abuja, Monday afternoon, a JTF ambulance conveyed corpses of six soldiers of the JTF from the Sambisa forest to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) mortuary, hospital sources said.
Eyewitnesses at the hospital said yesterday that four JTF vehicles escorted the ambulance conveying dead bodies of six soldiers suspected to be from the Sambisa forest to the mortuary. The special task force operation is on to track down the dreadful Boko Haram insurgents that recently launched attacks on some villages and towns in Borno Central senatorial district, killing hundreds of innocent civilians. These areas include Konduga town of Konduga LGA, Bama town of Bama LGA, Ngom village of Mafa LGA as well as Malam Fatori town of Abadam LGA, Gwoza town of Gwoza LGA, Maiduguri metropolis and Jere LGA.
But efforts to get the Maiduguri JTF PRO, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, at press time failed; he could not be reached due to lack of GSM communication network in Borno State.
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