ISWAP said Shekau blew himself up after refusing to surrender following his hideout’s invasion on Wednesday, May 19.
The Jama’atu Ahlussunnah Lidda’awati Wal Jihad (JAS) faction of Boko Haram, has confirmed the death of Abubakar Shekau, former leader of the terrorist group.
The Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) said Shekau blew himself up after refusing to surrender following his hideout’s invasion on Wednesday, May 19.
The Boko Haram leader was said to have killed himself with a bomb “when he observed that the ISWAP fighters wanted to capture him alive”.
ISWAP, which broke away from Shekau’s Boko Haram faction in 2016, said it disagreed with the late extremist leader over his excessive use of force, especially on Muslims in areas under his influence.
According to ISWAP leader, Abu Musab Albarnawi, its fighters took their arms, travelled through the Sahara, went into Shekau’s enclave, and engaged in a gun battle with his followers.
In a video obtained by SaharaReporters, members of JAS, led by one Bakura Sahalaba, admitted to the death of Shekau.
Sahalaba claimed that the faction of the terrorist group is still very much active.
He further denounced ISWAP and insisted that ‘it’s not all over for us’.
Some of the weapons that can be spotted with the Boko Haram fighters include; AKM(S)/Type 56 pattern rifles, Romanian PM me. 90 & PM MD. 63 rifles, Zastava M21S rifles (likely from Cameroon) and PK/Type 80 pattern GPMGs.