Leader of the Boko Haram terrorist sect, Abubakar Shekau, is considering plans to surrender to the Nigerian Government, Vanguard reports.
Boko Haram Leader, Shekau, Plans To Surrender — Seeks Amnesty From Nigerian Government
A source at the North-East Theatre of Operations cotold the newspaper that Mr Shekau had started making frantic efforts to seek a soft landing as he prepares to surrender.
According to the source, the Boko Haram leader has started reaching out to some International Non-Governmental Organizations for a deal with the Nigerian government towards granting him amnesty.
“I think the end of Boko Haram is coming close as Abubakar Shekau has been making overtures through proxies for a soft landing for him to surrender to the Nigerian authorities.
“He has been desperate about it, and the intensity is occasioned with the avalanche of coordinated operations launched in recent times against the group, especially in the Timbuktu triangle,” the source said.
The source further added that in recent times the Boko Haram group had suffered casualties that put the group in a tight corner.
According to him, the gap is closing in on Abubakar Shekau as it stands.
“The series of coordinated attacks on their hideouts has made it impossible for any escape as the military has been attacking from several flanks, and any attempt to escape now is virtually impossible.”
“The Chief of Army Staff has given an order that Abubakar Shekau is captured alive. The Chief has been in Borno State and there is a likelihood that he is going to be around for a long period given his body language of not leaving anything to chance in this critical operation,” the source added.
The newspaper also gathered that the Boko Haram group had also reached out to some International Non-Governmental Organizations to seek a deal with the Nigerian government towards granting amnesty to it.
A top staffer of one of the NGOs (name withheld) confirmed that on several occasions, Mr Shekau had sent emissaries to their organization to help secure an amnesty deal with the government of Nigeria.
“We were shocked in the initial stages, thinking it was a hoax. But this continued, and we were left with no choice than to inform the security agencies in a bid to protect ourselves.”
