Nigerian army 'ordered not to catch Boko Haram leader'

Stephanie Hegarty

BBC Africa, Lagos

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The Nigerian army have issued a bounty of $8,000 (£5,724) for the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau.

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But the BBC has found that, in a recent operation, soldiers were very close to Boko Haram’s main camp in the Sambisa forest when they were ordered to stop and eventually forced to retreat.

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Shekau escaped from his hideout leaving behind his cap, a laptop, his jacket, his chewing stick and a pistol, a witness from the vigilante forces, working alongside the Nigerian army, told the BBC.

“They ran away I saw them with my naked eyes,” the witness added.

 

BBC

 

Around 200 to 300 Boko Haram fighters are in operation, according to a commander who defected just after the attack.

He told the BBC the militants are “still armed, but most of what they say is propaganda”.

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The army repeatedly claim they’ve caught, killed or injured their elusive enemy.

But President Muhammadu Buhari’s claim a year ago that Boko Haram was technically defeated is still regarded sceptically by many Nigerians.