Nigerian military authorities Thursday dismissed a new video purportedly showing Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, refuting his death in battle with Nigerian troops in Konduga, Borno State on September 17, insisting that the militant is dead.
Defence Headquarters said the conviction that Shekau is dead is anchored on glaring evidences shown in still and video photographs coupled with oral testimonies of surrendering and captured terrorists.
The military is however baffled that some media outfits still help in the spread of propaganda that Bashir Mohammed alias Abubakar Shekau is still alive.
The reaction of Defence Headquarters titled ‘The Purported Shekau Video in Circulation’ reads:
“The Defence Headquarters is studying the claims made in the video purportedly released by the terrorists showing their leader Abubakar Shekau as dismissing his death.
“From immediate observation and what some online news outlets claimed to have seen, the video did not indicate when it was shot neither did it show any proof of life or currency such as screen time or date.
“The video also did not make any reference to anything that has happened since the impostor’s reported death.
“It is also noteworthy that the air plane said to be mentioned in the video had been missing before he was killed. It should not surprise anybody if the terrorists decide to manipulate pictures, clone another Shekau or upload a pre-recorded video all in a bid to prove invincible.
“As far as we are concerned, the individual who was appearing in video and claiming to be the leader of the terrorist group was killed in the Konduga battle in September. The resemblance of the corpse and that of the eccentric character was incontrovertible. His identity was equally corroborated by people who knew him before we announced his death.”
