The
Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, on Tuesday, admitted that the leader of
the Boko Haram sect, Shekau, has not been killed contrary to many claims of his
death by the government in the past.
He
also said it has been difficult arresting the sect leader because the
insurgents normally wear masks to conceal their identities and divert
attention.
Dan-Ali
spoke with State House correspondents shortly after briefing President
Muhammadu Buhari of his ministry’s activities at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He
said anybody who has the opportunity of visiting Sambisa Forest would know that
Boko Haram has been defeated.
He
said the nation’s security forces have dominated the sect’s stronghold
including Camp Zero that served as their spiritual headquarters and
communication base.
The
minister said, “I believe it is just a matter of time. It took America about
seven to ten years to get Bin Laden. So. we will get Shekau as soon as
possible.
“The
sect’s spiritual headquarters has been ransacked and vandalised. He (Shekau) is
on the run.
“He
may be hiding in one of the enclaves of Sambisa Forest which we are dominating.
“We
have opened up the place. We are using the place as a training area. The Army
engineers will open up roads and we shall be patrolling and be ransacking that
forest for the whereabouts of Shekau.”
When
confronted with the fact that the government had at different times in the past
claimed that Shekau had been killed, Dan-Ali said, “These insurgents have a way
of putting on mask. There could be so many but we are looking for the real one.
They have been using mask to portray Shekau in one incidents or the other to
give an impression that he has been killed so that we will relax. But we will
not relax, we are on him.”
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