The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, has confirmed the killing of Leader of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Abu Musab Al-Barnawi.
Recall that in August, reports emerged that Al-Barnawi was killed.
Finally confirming the report, Irabor, who spoke at a ministerial briefing organized by the presidential communications team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, said “I can authoritatively confirm to you that Abu Musab is dead. As simple as that. He is dead and remains dead.”
Al-Barnawi was the son of Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf who was also killed by security forces in 2009 when he launched a war against the Nigerian state.
Al-Barnawi was the son of Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf who was also killed by security forces in 2009 when he waged war against the Nigerian state, and more than one thousand people died during the uprising.
In 2016, the Islamic State (IS) militant group revealed Al-Barnawi as the leader of its West African affiliate, Boko Haram, which was formerly led by late Abubakar Shekau.
Shekau took over as the group’s leader after the death of Mohammed Yusuf.
Before his dethronement, Shekau had sworn allegiance to IS in March 2015 and had killed thousands of people and destroyed countless communities during his reign of terror that extended up to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Also ISIS partly chose Al-Barnawi as leader in the Lake Chad region in order to punish Shekau who reportedly “violated all known norms” and to also retain the confidence of Boko Haram fighters who were loyal to his father, Yusuf, amid threats from other factional groups.
Al-Barnawi was also said to have been trained by ISIS for years ahead of his ascension to power.
