Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau released a video message on Tuesday claiming a series of attacks in northeast Nigeria during the festive season. “Nigerian troops, police and those creating mischief against us can’t do anything against us, and you will gain nothing,” he said. Boko Haram fighters in torn clothes were shown shooting from the back of battered pickup trucks. Shekau, a leader known for his lengthy, wild-eyed video messages, took over Boko Haram in 2009 after the death of its founder Muhammad Yusuf. Boko Haram, whose Islamist insurgency has left at least 20,000 dead in Nigeria since it began in 2009, has long been fractionalised.

Source: Punch January 02, 2018 10:30 UTC