24-year-old, Bakura Modu emerges as new Boko Haram leader

24-year-old, Bakura Modu, has emerged as the new leader of Boko Haram, which controls the Lake Chad region and the Sambisa forest in Borno State, North-East Nigeria.

The emergence of Modu is coming a month after the death of Abubakar Shekau, who was killed after a clash between his men and fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

WITHIN NIGERIA had reported that Shekau On 19th May 2021 detonated a bomb and killed himself when he observed that the ISWAP fighters wanted to capture him alive.

Modu, who appeared in a video, spoke of the readiness of the group to work with the International State in Iraq and Syria.

His statement in Arabic was said to have confirmed the death of erstwhile leader, Shekau, as he prayed for Allah to forgive the shortcomings of the former spiritual leader and called on fighters who had been with Shekau not to lose heart but to brace up with realities and find their ways to the fold.

Also speaking to BBC Hausa service, Barr. Audu Bulama Bukarti of Tony Blair Institute for Global Change said this is an opportunity for the Nigeria military to cash on the infighting amongst the terrorists group to finish them once and for all.

He said the death of Shekau was a heavy blow on the terrorist faction under his leadership and doubt if the new leader has the capacity to do what Shekau did during his reign of terror across the northeast region.

The new leader who was surrounded in the video by top commanders of the former spiritual leader Abubakar Shelby was allegedly said to have led a fight to ISWAP camp killing many fighters and top commanders loyal to Abu Musab Al Haznawi.

Bukarti also said that Abu Musab Albarnawi is currently losing ground as the leader of ISWAP as group members have likened him to the wicked son of the prophet implying that his father late Mohammed Yusuf has led the ground well but his leadership is bringing more uncertainty in their ideology.