Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau debunks injury during 'Air Strike' report in new video

Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, has dismissed the report that he had been injured in an airstrike by the Nigerian army. On Wednesday, Nigerian Air force said two of its fighter jets bombarded an area in the village where the sect members had gathered to pray, injuring the terrorist leader and killing one of his deputies in the attack. 

According to AFP report, two Nigerian Air Force jets had bombarded an area in the village where the sect members had gathered to pray.

    "Shekau was wounded in the bombings and is believed to be receiving treatment near the Nigerian border with Cameroon around Kolofata. His deputy, Abba Mustapha, alias Malam Abba, was killed in the attack along with another key lieutenant, Abubakar Gashua, alias Abu Aisha," a military source said


A member of the state Civilian Joint Taskfoce, Baba Kolo, also confirmed that Shekau was injured in the airstrike. "Shekau was injured and a number of commanders were killed. Among them is his deputy called Malam Abba. They suffered heavy casualties because the bombings targeted a large gathering of his followers attending Friday prayers."

A senior military officer in Maiduguri also confirmed the air force bombed Boko Haram positions "in the Damboa area on Friday where they hit the targets with precision". "We got intel (intelligence) that the terrorists were gathering at the location and we acted on the report," he added, requesting anonymity as he was not authorised to speak about the operation.

 He said he was unable to comment on Shekau but the source with contacts in Boko Haram said Mustapha was preaching when the first jet bombed the mosque at about 1:00 pm. Moments later a second jet targeted worshippers as they fled.

"Shekau was just leaving a house nearby for the mosque when the first jet struck. He was injured in the second strike. They spent the rest of Friday and the whole of Saturday burying the dead" he said. 

In a 14-minute Twitter video posted by on Thursday evening by prominent Boko Haram reporter, Ahmad Salkida, Shekau flanked by two hooded fighters denied the attack while speaking in Arabic and Hausa.

He said: 

'As I speak, today is Thursday 7th Sha’aban (4th May) around Zuhr prayer. You claimed your jets struck at our gathering while we were praying, killed some of us and injured me near Damboa. I don’t even know the town you mentioned. 

“Gather all the photojournalists, the camera men and pressmen you have, let them assess this video to determine if I was wounded. “But we are not worried. We are making this video to dispel your propaganda. Deceitful people end in shame. 

“Earlier you claimed I was in Sambisa, now you said I was near Damboa road. You will never know my location. Allah kept out of sight because I believe in him and doing his biddings.
'Be patient, once my time on earth ends, I will die. Nothing will happen to me."
Speaking further, he said: 

“To Buhari, Buratai and lawmakers you are shouldering a burden beyond your capacity. Your imagination (on our capacity) is more incredible than the tale of a hawk that lifts an elephant.
“So I’m alive. But if God wills that you will kill me, it is not surprising because many prophets of Allah were killed by infidels. 

I will be happy to die in the cause of Allah. “Shekau is alive, Shekau is alive. I have not started killing in the name of religion yet. I will start in future.” 

 Watch the video below..