More details have emerged after the death of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, was confirmed on Thursday.
The terror group’s stronghold in the Sambisa forest area was invaded on Wednesday, by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters.
ISWAP had broken away from the Shekau-led Boko Haram faction in 2016, after pledging allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS).
They raided the group’s hideout using multiple gun trucks.
Shekau’s enclave was tracked down by ISWAP using its forces based in the Timbuktu Triangle.
His fighters were killed in the process, followed by a long gunfire exchange between the invading group and Shekau’s bodyguards.
Shekau then surrendered and engaged in an hours-long meeting with the ISWAP fighters, where he was asked to voluntarily relinquish power and order his fighters in other areas to declare bai’a (allegiance) to ISWAP’s authority.
However, Shekau who secretly had a suicide vest on eventually blew himself up alongside everyone present during the negotiations.
