Boko Haram is finished – Shekau

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau

The video purported to be of Nigeria’s most wanted terrorist and Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, urging his fighters to surrender is exciting Nigerians even as military authorities are reported to be studying the clip.

Several national newspapers had reported the surfacing of the grainy video in which a gaunt looking Shekau, who started speaking in Arabic before switching to Hausa, said ‘Nawa ya kare’ which loosely translates to “mine is finished” or “I am finished”.

In sharp contrast to the well produced previous videos, the latest video had Shekau, who had not surfaced in about a year, in a dimly lit environment without the highly animated and exaggerated gesticulations of his previous propaganda clips.

Added to the absence of usual boastful attitude in the video, the Boko Haram leader held onto the weapon in what could be a symbolic attempt to defend himself from likely resistance from his immediate fighters. There are suggestions that he may be planning an escape from his present hideout.

His acknowledgement of the support by his followers is a sign of gratitude for standing by him all the while. Now that his own is finished, he can only pray for them.

Under the present administration, the Nigerian Army supported by the Air Force has sustained a successful onslaught on terrorists’ strongholds leading to several Boko Haram Amirs (Commanders) being killed by Nigerian troops.

The military has also disrupted the terror group’s logistics capturing many heavy weapons and vehicles.