Shekau’s ‘death’, Credit To Jonathan’s Govt

Though yet unconfirmed, the reported death of Abubakar Shekau, leader of the blood-thirsty Boko Haram sect brings to focus the largely unacknowledged efforts of the immediate past Federal Government, led by Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

Shekau had been reported dead in battles with troops numerous times, only for him to resurface and taunt the government and wreak more havocs.

However, towards the tail end of the Jonathan administration, especially the six weeks of routing by the military shortly before the last general election, reports also filtered in that the cat with nine lives had finally been killed.

From that period to date, the leader of the insurgents is yet to make a public appearance.

On Wednesday this week, the Chadian leader Idris Derby disclosed that Shekau may have indeed been killed and that the insurgents have already appointed a new leader, Mahamat Daoud, who he said is ready for talks with Nigeria.

Even if he resurfaces, Shekau is already a damaged leader for the group – credit for which should richly go to the outgone Jonathan administration.

This is because the outgone administration had accomplished almost 95 percent of the anti-terror job in the fight against the insurgents.

It is on record that Jonathan’s administration spent a whopping N4.62 trillion on national security in five years.