Nigeria’s Boko Haram Leader ‘May Be Dead’

Nigeria’s militant Islamist leader Abubakar Shekau may have been killed by the security forces during a shoot-out, an army spokesman has said.

An “intelligence report” showed that Shekau, the leader of the Boko Haram group, may have died between 25 July and 3 August, Lt-Col Sagir Musa said.

Boko Haram, which has waged an insurgency in Nigeria since 2009, has not commented on the statement.

The US had put a bounty of $7m (£4.6m) on Shekau’s head.

‘Imposter’
The intelligence report suggested that Shekau was shot on 30 June, when soldiers raided a Boko Haram base at Sambisa Forest in north-eastern Nigeria.

“Shekau was mortally wounded in the encounter and was sneaked into Amitchide – a border community in Cameroon for treatment… It is greatly believed that Shekau might have died between 25 July to 3 August 2013,” Col Musa said.