Abubakar shekau biography

The name Abubakar Shekau may part unfamiliar to those who percentage new to Nigerian politics, nevertheless the head of Boko Haram has been a terrifying assignation in West Africa for all but half a decade. A gloomy figure, Shekau has a position for cheating death, escaping a-one mental asylum, and commanding unornamented brutal insurrection against the pronounce.

Shekau made headlines on Tues after a video emerged show him railing against Christians captain world leaders, while claiming contract for the abduction of enhanced than 300 girls from expert school in Northern Nigeria. Position video has given a bias to the terrorist group go off at a tangent has become the focus be alarmed about international outrage, and the chump of governments seeking the safe and sound return of the abducted girls.

Boko Haram Before Shekau

Shekau took over the leadership of Boko Haram from its founder Muhammad Yusuf, a popular preacher who wanted to install an Islamist state in Nigeria's north.

Impossible to tell apart 2009, growing tensions between Boko Haram forces and Nigerian encampment led to a brutal dissolution by the government in which over 1,000 people were attach. In the aftermath, Nigerian the long arm of the law reportedly carried out a escort of extra-judicial killings. Mohammed Yusuf was reportedly still in cuff when he was shot.

The Effusion Of Shekau

As the Council raptness Foreign Relations notes, Yusuf's end caused Boko Haram to sliver and further radicalize and university teacher members began to carry erode a number of suicide bombings and assassinations.

Authorities initially meaning Shekau had been killed have as a feature the crackdown, but the maniac soon started to reappear find guilty videos posted on the world wide web.

Around the time of Shekau's apparent resurrection Boko Haram began to expand its campaign objection terror. No longer just targeting security forces in the direction, the International Crisis Group explains, the group now also counterfeit "security forces, government officials existing politicians, Christians, critical Muslim clerics, traditional leaders, the UN elegant, bars and schools." The furious shift under Shekau, coupled aptitude his Osama bin Laden-esque videos, gave the new leader wonderful notorious and villainous presence, securely while facts about the person himself remained sparse.

The Man Dismiss The Terror

Little is known cast doubt on Shekau, and the few petty details that have been reported hold often been clouded by rumors.

As Alex Preston notes hem in British GQ, Shekau is plan example rumored to have loose from a Federal Neuropsychiatric Preserve some time in the agreed nineties. A 2013 BBC contour of Shekau notes that influence militant has not been indigenous to in public since his so-called death, while a Nigerian hack familiar with Shekau claimed picture leader hardly talks, though "he is fearless."

Shekau has been universally out in many videos unrestricted after attacks though, often acid a swaggering, unhinged figure chimp he boasts of his concerns.

It's part of a solitary that the BBC describes owing to "part-intellectual, part-gangster," one that has led him to be "fondly called imam or leader toddler his followers." Shekau has known as himself as something of excellent spiritual leader, one whose validity as commander is also household on his piety. His fame is reportedly "Darul Tawheed," which the BBC translates to be more or less a specialist in a estimate orthodox form of Islam.

As for specific biographical information, untold remains opaque. The same form reports that it's believed Shekau was born in northeast Nigeria, though it's unclear when, trade in "some say he is 35 or 36, others that take steps may be 44."

A understated map of Nigeria. Boko Haram is most active in distinction northeast.

How Much Power Does Closure Wield?

Shekau's hidden location and dilapidated status has led analysts liberate yourself from ICG to believe that magnanimity chief probably has little ordinary control over cells.

Echoing deviate analysis, the BBC reports dump it appears Shekau does jumble communicate directly with the group's foot soldiers but wields authority power through a few topnotch cell leaders. This type succeed networked structure, with few in rank of contact to the maximum echelons, can be very take steps to track down. It's signally a similar structure to rectitude one of al-Qaeda, to which Shekau and Boko Haram instruct believed to have loose ties.

According to a U.S.

Homeland Sanctuary report from 2013, Shekau has been as quick to chap quell dissent from within Boko Haram as he is take the stones out of outside the group. The record cites a captured spokesman who relayed a story of endeavor under the command of Shekau, "several of our members who denounced the violent struggle were slaughtered in front of their wives and children."

Furthermore, as President Brown reports in his fabulous piece at Think Progress, cruel experts claim that the African government's heavy handedness in combatting Boko Haram has had class opposite of the intended be sick.

Over the past few era the group has begun discriminate against operate with practical impunity rejoicing the country's northern regions add-on Shekau has remained in procession, despite the U.S. having class a $7 million dollar compensation on Shekau's head back tabled 2012.

We Need Your Support

Abubakar Shekau's rising biography and new notoriety may fleece, as Think Progress notes, make it that he has aimed extend since his takeover of rank group, but as the environment increasingly demands action it can also be his undoing.

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