The Nigerian Army has claimed that its attacks against terrorists in Sambisa forest and other locations in the North-east of the country has caused the Boko Haram factional leader, Abubakar Shekau, to be on the run, dressed in a woman attire.
“The terrorists are in disarray and scampering for safety while others were surrendering,” the army said on Tuesday in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Sani Usman.
Mr. Usman, a brigadier-general, said, “Credible information from arrested and surrendered insurgents indicated that the purported Boko Haram terrorists group factional leader, Abubakar Shekau could not bear the heat anymore as he has abandoned his followers, he is running for his dear life.
“He is desperately trying to escape the theatre disguised as a woman dressed in Hijab. We reliably gathered that to avoid detection Abubakar Shekau alternates between blue and black coloured hijabs. He was last seen in a black hijab,” he said.
The called on Boko Haram fighters to stop fighting and surrender their arms, instead of “following a coward moving about in hijab disguised as a woman”.
“While concerted efforts are ongoing to track and apprehend the fugitive terrorist leader, we implore also members of the public, especially the residents of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States to be more vigilant, security conscious and be on the lookout of Abubakar Shekau and other terrorists that might disguise as women to escape,” the army said.
The claim by the Nigerian army in the past that Mr. Shekau had either been killed or maimed has always turned out to be inaccurate. The Boko Haram leader would characteristically response to such claims by releasing video of himself mocking the nation’s military.
