The new Boko Haram leader is likely to be a Chadian

A man who report­edly replaced Abuba­kar Shekau as the leader of the Boko Haram sect is a national of the Re­public of Chad, this indica­tion emerged on Friday.

Mahamat Daoud was given as the name of the new lead­er of the insurgents by Chadian President Idriss Derby, to replace Shekau who the Nigerian military claimed was dead. Shek­au has not also been seen in recent video released by Boko Haram.

President Derby had at a news conference to commemorate Chad’s 55th Independence anni­versary at N’Djamena, the capital last Wednesday said the group now has a new leader.

“There is someone ap­parently called Mahamat Daoud who is said to have replaced Abubakar Shek­au and wants to negotiate with the Nigerian govern­ment,” he said at the press conference though he did not disclose how he came about that name.

However, a Chadian who resides at Maiduguri, the Borno State capital and has been following Boko Haram activities in his home-country in recent times told Sun­day Sun the man named as the new Boko Haram helmsman is ‘very likely’ a Chadian.

“Mahamat is no doubt a Chadian. If the name given by our president is his real identity, then he’s a Chadian.

I think it will be easier to properly identify him if Boko Haram shows him in their next video,” the source said. Another source that has a fair knowledge and identi­ties of most Boko Haram leaders especially from 2008 also told Sunday Sun that the new leader has not been known.

“This name is strange to us. No such name has ever featured among Boko Haram leaders.

He may be those who joined later from Chad, or could be one of the con­tacts with other members outside Nigeria. (The Sun).