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'We Bombed Maiduguri, I Don’t Have Any Farm In Sambisa Forest’ — Shekau Mocks Military In New Audio

February 25, 2021

The militant leader also claimed responsibility for the bomb explosions that rocked Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State on Tuesday, February 23.

Abubakar Shekau, leader of the Jama’atu Ahlussunnah Lidda’awati Wal Jihad faction of Boko Haram, has spoken in a fresh audio released by the sect.

In a video in which only a voice believed to be his could be heard with his picture and scenes from the North forming the background, which was released on Thursday, Shekau who spoke in Hausa, boasted that the military had not been able to put his group in check.

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The militant leader also claimed responsibility for the bomb explosions that rocked Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State on Tuesday, February 23.

The explosions led to the death of over 16 persons and injured more than 60 across the town.

According to Shekau, an infiltration team carried out the attack.

He also dissociated himself from a farm reportedly belonging to him that was recently burnt by the Nigerian military. 

Troops of the Nigerian Army recently took over a farmland situated inside Sambisa forest which they alleged was owned by Shekau.

In a trending video on social media, the soldiers were also seen taunting the Boko Haram leader, asking him to come out to face them.

“Shekau where are you? See us on Shekau’s farm inside Sambisa. Shekau king of noise-making where are you? Come out now and see if we will not waste you.

“This is Shekau’s farm inside Sambisa. Villagers take as much of the products as you can after all it is yours.

“Shekau, see us on your farm, we are going to have our Juma’at prayers on your farm,” one of the troops said.

But in a five-minute and thirty-two seconds-long video released on Thursday, Shekau said he has no farm in Sambisa forest.

On many occasions, the militant leader has embarrassed the Nigerian government and military for claiming victory over his group.

The army had on several occasions claimed that it had killed Shekau, but each time it pronounces him dead, the militant resurfaces in an audio or video messages to not only debunk such claims but taunt the military.

In 2014, the Nigerian Army claimed he was killed by the Cameroonian military during a Boko Haram attempt to capture Kodunga, a small village north of Maiduguri.

The Cameroonian military backed this claim by releasing a photo of Shekau’s supposed corpse on social media.

But shortly after, he appeared in a video, mocking those who claimed responsibility for his death.

In the video he released in October 2014, Shekau taunted the military, saying he has “one soul”.

“Here I am, alive. I will only die the day Allah takes my breath. I am running our... Islamic caliphate and administering sharia punishments,” he had said.

“Nothing will kill me until my days are over… I’m still alive. Some people asked you if Shekau has two souls. No, I have one soul, by Allah. It is propaganda that is prevalent. I have one soul. I’m an Islamic student.

I’m the Islamic student whose seminary you burnt… I’m not dead.”

Also Chadian President, Idriss Deby, in 2015 claimed Shekau had been replaced with one Mahamat Daoud.

But five months later, Shekau resurfaced in a video in which he described Deby as a “hypocrite”.