Boko Haram: Shekau Still Alive And Well - Salkida

     

Despite information making the rounds that leader of the Boko Haram terrorist group has been killed in a gun duel with troops at Konduga, Nigerian exiled Journalist based in the United Arab Emirate Ahmed Salkida has countered the claim.

In a series of tweets on his TL yesterday, Salkida maintained that Shekau is still very much alive and well “Mark my words: I have it on authority that Shekau is well & alive, the picture going round is NOT the person who torments us with his group,” he tweeted.

Salkida is about the closest person with known links to the Boko Haram terrorists. It is believed he still maintains a firsthand contact with the group therefore is seen as the world’s topmost authority in terms of information as far as the Boko haram sect is concerned, by virtue of his closeness to the group during his journalism days in Nigeria.

It would be recalled that President Jonathan had invited him to Nigeria to broker a deal with the sect leader for the release of the abducted Chibok girls. The same deal the president cancelled at the last minute.

The exiled Journalist also cast a doubt on the widely held media propagated believe that Shakau "had a double."

“So Shekau has a double? So it was his double I met during the failed attempt to negotiate an end to the plight of #chibokgirls? Oh #Nigeria,” Salkida tweeted.

While Nigerians seems to be heaving a sigh of relief that her troops are beginning to gain upper hand in the counter insurgency war with the killing, capturing and surrendering of the terrorists, Salkida is of the opinion that it was just the mark of a beginning to a long walk to victory. In his words "Mark my words: Konduga was a turning point for the NA but the journey to an 'assured future' is still long and tough."

This was just after a tweet which suggested that "#Nigeria must take this fight away from pages of newspapers & confront it overly. We are yet to get it right but let's pray #VictoryforNigeria"

In a related vein, Mr. Salkida also added in his tweet that there are no negotiations whatsoever going on between the Boko Haram sect and the Nigerian government with particular reference to the International Committee on Red Crescent (Red Cross). 

“Mark my words: There is NO negotiation either by the @ICRC or any negotiator on the release of #chibokgirls with #BH Shura as I write this,” he said.

 

There have been reports lately that the Red Cross, the Nigerian Government and the Boko Haram sect are engaged in talks and might have agreed to swap the girls with some named Boko Haram prisoners.

Written by Dahiru Mohammed Lawal for Elombah