Troops of the Nigerian army have claimed to have taken over a farmland said to be owned by Abubakar Shekau, leader of the Jama’atu Ahlussunnah Lidda’awati Wal Jihad faction of Boko Haram.
According to a trending video on social media, the land is situated inside Sambisa forest, a stronghold of the sect in Borno State.
The soldiers were seen taunting Shekau, asking him to come out to face them.
“Shekau, where are you? See us on Shekau’s farm inside Sambisa. Shekau king of noise-making, where are you? Come out now and see if we will not waste you.
“This is Shekau’s farm inside Sambisa. Villagers take as much of the products as you can; after all, it is yours.
“Shekau, see us on your farm. We are going to have our Juma’at prayers on your farm,” one of the soldiers said in the video.”
TRENDING VIDEO: Nigerian Soldiers Taunt Shekau, Dare Him To Come Out
ð¹:@TahaAdam_ pic.twitter.com/iPVSF16SHQ
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) February 20, 2021
However, it is not clear when the video was recorded as the Nigerian army has yet to comment on it.
Shekau has been at large and remains wanted by the authorities.
He has embarrassed the authorities on numerous occasions for claiming to have killed him.
In 2014, the Nigerian Army had said the Cameroonian military killed Shekau during a Boko Haram attempt to capture Kodunga, a small village north of Maiduguri.
The Cameroonian military-backed this claim by releasing a photo of Shekau’s supposed corpse on social media.
But shortly after, he appeared in a video, mocking those who claimed responsibility for his death.
But in a video he released in October 2014, Shekau taunted the military, saying he has “one soul”.
“Here I am, alive. I will only die the day Allah takes my breath. I am running our… Islamic caliphate and administering sharia punishments,” he had said.
“Nothing will kill me until my days are over… I’m still alive. Some people asked you if Shekau has two souls. No, I have one soul, by Allah. It is propaganda that is prevalent. I have one soul. I’m an Islamic student. I’m the Islamic student whose seminary you burnt… I’m not dead.”
Also, Chad President Idriss Deby in 2015 claimed Shekau had been replaced with one Mahamat Daoud.
But five months after, Shekau resurfaced in a video where he described Deby as a “hypocrite”.
