Boko Haram splits over leadership tussle

A major fight has broken out among members of the Boko Haram terrorist group following the announcement of a new leader for the group by the Islamic State group. Abu Musab al-Barnawi, the son of Boko Haram’s founder Mohammed Yusuf, was named as the new leader of the group recently causing a battle for supremacy between him and the hitherto known leader, Abu Shekau. Shekau announced days later that he remained the leader of the sect. The military also reported recently that it dealt a major injury on Shekau.

News sources have confirmed the clash between factions of the group that has killed over 20,000 people and rendered millions homeless since 2009. The report said last week, while the military continued to decimate the sect. two clashes between the factions of the group led to the death of many loyalists of Shekau in the Monguno area of Borno state near Lake Chad.

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News source quoted one Mele Kaka, a resident of the area, as saying: “The Barnawi faction launched an offensive against the Shekau faction who were camped in the villages of Yele and Arafa. “In Yele, the assailants killed three people from the Shekau camp, injured one and took one with them, while several were killed in Arafa.” Kaka said the clash caused residents of Arafa to flee just as the report added that a day before, members loyal to Barnawi attacked gunmen loyal to Shekau in Zuwa village in Marte district, killing an unspecified number.

“The Barnawi fighters told villagers after each attack that they were fighting the other camp because they had derailed from the true jihad and were killing innocent people, looting their property and burning their homes “They said such acts contravene the teachings of Islam and true jihad,” Kaka said. Hajiya Aisha Wakil, believed to be close to the sect, had recently said the terrorists were ready for dialogue and release some of the abducted 219 school girls from Chibok.