The Chadian President, Idriss Deby said the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, has picked a new leader.
The BBC quoted the Chadian President as making the statement on Wednesday.
In the British Broadcasting Corporation report, Deby did not say what had happened to Shekau, but noted that Shekau had been replaced by Mahamat Daoud. Deby said Daoud, the new sect leader, was open to dialogue.
The Chadian President’s claim is fuelling a speculation that Abubakar Shekau, the leader of the sect, may indeed be dead.
It will be recalled that military authorities confirmed the killing of Shekau during one of its raids in Kodunga, Borno State, between September 12 and 17, 2014.
But Shekau later appeared in a video, claiming he was not dead. However, Shekau has been missing in the group’s videos in the last five months, lending force to the belief that he has been killed.
A picture published by The Cable on Wednesday showed the dead body of Shekau in a place identified as Sambisa forest.
Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters, on Wednesday condemned the increasing suicide attacks occasioned by loss of innocent lives in the North-East of the country.
The Acting Director, Defence Information, Col. Rabe Abubakar, who condemned the acts of the insurgents in an email, was particularly piqued by the latest suicide attack at Sabon Gari Market in Borno State.
Abubakar said that the bombings would soon come to an end. He described those behind the acts as barbaric and callous.
He assured the citizenry that the military would not relent in making efforts to rid the country of terrorists and their activities.
He said that the security forces were still making efforts to weaken the capacity of the insurgents “who are in disarray but still constituted some danger to the civil populace.” (Punch).