Details of how Abubakar Shekau, the impostor and leader of the Boko Haram terrorist group, was killed in a shoot-out with Nigerian troops in Konduga on Wednesday, September 17, emerged yesterday, with military sources disclosing that he met his waterloo in an ambush reminiscent of the type the sect had been using to hack down Nigerian troops.

As reported this morning by Vanguard, during the first attack on Konduga, where hundreds of insurgents were taken unawares and killed after over seven hours of fighting with several of their colleagues, arms and ammunition captured, the military commanders strategically urged his captured members to send a message to Shekau that they (insurgents) have killed the troops.

Before the captured insurgents were urged to make the contact and deliver the message, the military commanders had promised them that their co-operation would play a role in the level of punishment to be meted to them after the battle, hence they felt reassured.

Also, the captured insurgents had disclosed that Shekau usually moved in a convoy of cars painted in military colours while he sits in a MOWAG Armoured tank with Boko Haram inscription on its front.

When Shekau was contacted, his captured men spoke to him in Arabic, assuring him that they had taken over Konduga, thereby giving him the positive signal to proceed from Sambisa Forest. To convince him further, some of his men that were captured were asked to sing the victory song in Kanuri language they normally sing at the background.

Having convinced himself that the messenger was his chief courier in such situation and the message was authentic, he and his followers made for Konduga, heavily armed with anti-aircraft weapons, general purpose machine guns, several AK-47 rifles and other IEDS’.

However, on entering Konduga town, he and his followers were encircled by strategically placed and heavily armed Nigerian soldiers. Immediately he contacted the messenger and discovered that something was amiss, he ordered his followers to start shooting in all directions.

This spurred the Army Commanders to give the directive to open fire. When he discovered that the fire power of the Nigerian Army who used both infantry and artillery weaponry was overwhelming, he jumped out of the MOWAG and made to escape.

But Nigerian soldiers spotted him and opened fire on him, inflicting serious injuries on his legs. It was learnt that he also received bullet wounds in other parts of his body as he was said to have bled to death.

In the Vanguard report, the claim of the Nigerian military that the original Shekau was killed last year was confirmed by the Australian negotiator, Dr. Stephen Davis, who claims to have worked closely with Shekau. Davies equally confirmed that the fake Shekau, whose name he gave as Isa Damsaka, was killed last week in Konduga by Nigerian troops.

Davis, in a mail to Vanguard, said that Abubakar Shekau was killed around June 19, 2013 while they were close to concluding a peace deal on the Boko Haram insurgency.

Davis said: “I continue to hold to the position that Shekau was killed on or about June 19, 2013 when we were close to concluding a peace deal. Videos immediately prior to that time were produced using a ‘fake’ Shekau. The fake Shekau is Isa Damsaka. It was confirmed to me by Boko Haram that he was killed in the recent military engagement at Konduga.

“Most members of Boko Haram have never seen Shekau. They believe what they have been told that Shekau is their leader. The real Shekau is dead. The Shekau the world has been seeing in videos is a ‘fake’ and Boko Haram fighters have been fooled. They have followed blindly.

“The message of Boko Haram purifying Islam is also fake. When the Boko Haram leaders broke the news of Shekau’s death in June last year, they said he had diverted from the Holy Qu’ran through the kidnappings, rapes and beheadings. The fake Shekau continued these atrocities under the patronage of the sponsors and escalated their terrorist activities. Shekau is dead but they will try to find another to perpetuate the lie.”

The Cameroonian army (Armee Camerounaise) had yesterday released photos of Shekau’s decapitated head alongside a statement claiming he was killed during a cross-border raid deep inside Nigeria by its military.

However, as reported last night by News Express, the claim by the Cameroonian Army that it killed Shekau was promptly dismissed by the Nigerian military, which tweeted from the Twitter handle of Defence Headquarters: “There was no raid whatsoever by Cameroon or any foreign forces in any part of Nigeria’s territory in pursuit of terrorists as claimed in some reports allegedly quoting Cameroon military authorities.

“All operations ongoing in the environs of Konduga and all associated border locations within the country are completely being undertaken by Nigerian troops.”

•Photo shows the late Abubakar Shekau and his lifeless head.

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