Boko Haram Leader, Abubakar Shekau, Commits Suicide

Malik Yahya/

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has reportedly killed himself following his capture by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters.

Sources disclosed that Shekau killed himself yesterday evening following the invasion of the terror group’s stronghold in Sambisa forest by ISWAP.

ISWAP had broken away from the Shekau-led Boko Haram faction in 2016 after pledging allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS).

NewsmakersNG learnt that Shekau’s bodyguards were subdued during the attack, forcing him to surrender to ISWAP.

He subsequently engaged in negotiation with the ISWAP fighters during which he was asked to voluntarily relinquish power and order his fighters in other areas to declare allegiance to ISWAP’s authority.

Sources however said that Shekau who secretly had a suicide vest chose to blow himself up alongside everyone present during the negotiations.

Shekau had been the leader of Boko Haram since 2009 following the death of the group’s founder, Mohammed Yusuf. He had been rumoured to have been killed at leasit four times between July 2009 and Aug. 2016.