Despite the fact that the Nigerian Army has boasted severally of
killing terrorists sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, the Defence Minister,
Brig-Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali (rtd), has said he was not dead. According to him, Shekau is still hiding in Sambisa forest in Borno and has been using masks as disguise to evade arrest.
He, however, said the military were not hot on his trail and just
like it took the United States of America seven years to capture Osama
Bin Laden, Shakau will be captured soon. President Muhammadu Buhari had on December 24, 2016, announced
that the Nigerian military had succeeded in liberating Sambisa forest,
one of Boko Haram’s hideouts. The Nigerian Army had briefed on how the
Boko Haram’s stronghold in Sambisa forest now known as Camp Zairo, was
captured. But Shakau in a video posted shortly after had said he and his members were safe and have not been flushed out of anywhere. The Boko Haram leader had urged the government to stop telling lies to the people in the 25-minute video.
Speaking to State House correspondents after briefing the President
on the security situation in the country, Dan-Ali insisted however that
the Boko Haram sect has been degraded. He said, “If you have been opportune to go to Sambisa forest you will
know that Boko Haram used there. We have dominated the whole stronghold
where they use to be, camp zero where their spiritual headquarters use
to be was destroyed and is now occupied being by our armed forces. “I believe it’s just a matter of time, it took America about seven to
10 years to get Bin Laden so we will get Shekau as soon as possible”.
Asked why it’s been a problem arresting Shekau, the minister replied,
“The spiritual headquarters has been ransacked and vandalized, he
(Shekau) is on the run so he may be hiding in one of the enclaves of
Sambisa forest which we are dominating, we have opened up the place we
are using the place as a training area whereby the army engineers will
open roads. We shall be patrolling and be ransacking that forest for the
whereabouts of Shekau.” When reminded that the army has claimed to have killed Shekau several
times in the past, replied, “Let me tell you categorically, these
Insurgents, have a way of putting mask, there could be so many but we
are looking for the real one, he has been using mask to portray Shekau
in one incidents or the other to give an impression that he has been
killed so that we will relax but we will not relax we are on him.”
Dan-Ali told newsmen that the discussion with President Buhari was
centrally on security, adding that he was impressed with the performance
of the armed forces so far. He also said the issue of how to return the Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs) to their homes so they can resume normal businesses was
also discussed. According to him, ”Security situation is something that you cannot
get 100 percent and remember that Nigeria has been having these
turbulences for a very long time. We are trying to manage it and we are
trying to make it solvable whereby every Nigeriam will have peace and
tranquillity and do his normal business.”
On Buhari’s directives he said, “The directive is that we should do
more. The more we put our efforts the more Nigeria gets safer. We are
doing our best and we have also requested for more in terms of equipment
and I can categorically tell you that the Nigeria Armed forces have
turned to professional armed forces. The last time we had training on
small arms competition was almost 11 years ago, so also the sports so
you can see we are joining the professionalism with the security
challenges that is happening in the country.”
Asked if the federal government will join Borno State in declaring
December 22nd celebration day, Dan-Ali said, “It is a local
celebration, they have seen the significance of having that camp zero
captured because hitherto before they can never be at rest when they
are been encircled by insurgents, so with that I believe they have the
right to celebrate. Other things are being celebrated in other parts of
the country so no problem with that. I believe it anything is wrong with
that.” Speaking on resetting IDPs in their homes, Dan-Ali said, “I have gone
through the Sambisa forest a lot of villages were empty. We are also
thinking of facilitating the process whereby those of them no issues
with boko harm will be released to go back to their farming, that will
enhance the economic empowerment of the people.”
Source: Metrowatch 
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