Who is Abubakar Shekau?

Abubakar Shekau, also known by the alias Darul Tawheed  is the Islamist leader of the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram. He served as deputy leader to the group's founder, Mohammed Yusuf, until Yusuf was killed in 2009. Nigerian authorities believed that Shekau was killed in 2009 during clashes between security forces and Boko Haram until July 2010 when he appeared in a video claiming leadership of the group. He has subsequently been reported killed with regularity, and is thought to use body doubles.

Shekau is an ethnic Kanuri but also speaks Hausa, Arabic, and English. Shekau claims to be an intellectual and theologian who studied Islam "under a traditional cleric".



In videos Shekau posted online, he often boasted about his invincibility, mocked various armies and stated that he "cannot be stopped" and "cannot die except by the will of Allah". He also boasted about being in possession of armoured tanks and other combat vehicles. He frequently spoke about the Quran in his online videos.

In June 2012 the United States Department of State designated Shekau as a terrorist and effectively froze any of his assets in the United States.

Since June 2013, the U.S. State Department has a standing reward of US$7 million for information leading to Shekau's capture through its Rewards for Justice program. The Nigerian army has additionally offered a ₦50 million reward (approximately US$300,000) for Shekau.

Shekau survived being shot in the leg during an attempt on his life by Nigerian security forces. He took credit for the kidnapping of over 200 school girls in April 2014. After his near death, he increased his violent attacks. Shekau also announced that the kidnapped girls have been converted to Islam. He had claimed to be waging a jihad against Christianity. His online videos frequently depict anti-American rhetoric and he had made multiple threats to attack the U.S.

Shekau has neither the charismatic streak nor the oratorical skills of his predecessor - but he has an intense ideological commitment and ruthlessness, say people who study the group. "He is the leader of the more militant wing of the group as testified by his aping of Osama Bin Laden in his video appearances," says Abubakar Mu'azu from the University of Maiduguri. In addition, Shekau is the group's spiritual leader.

Shekau was born in the Republic of Niger, although it has also been claimed that he was born in Shekau village in Yobe State of Nigeria. It is unclear how old he is with speculation suggesting he is 34 or 35; some have said he is 43 years old. He has married one of Muhammad Yusuf's four wives. His nickname is “Darul Tawheed”, which translates as a specialist in tawheed, the Islamic concept of oneness of Allah.

Shekau was reported killed by security forces in 2009 but reappeared as the group leader less than a year later. Shekau was also reported to have been killed by the Nigerian army during the Battle of Kodunga that lasted between September 12 and 14th 2014. The Cameroonian military posted a photo and claimed that their forces killed Shekau in September 2014. To the September 2014 reports security analyst Ryan Cummings commented "Is this his fourth or fifth death? He dies more often than an iPhone battery."In early October 2014, a video was obtained by AFP news agency that showed Shekau alive, in which he mocked the Nigerian military's allegations that he had been killed.

Local media have suggested that the man killed by Cameroon was a body double used for security reasons.

According to The National Post, Nigerian government officials say that the original Shekau is long dead, but impostors keep popping up perpetuating the myth that Shekau is unkillable. His appearance and name are now a “brand name for the terrorists. … The Nigerian military remains resolute to serve justice to anyone who assumes that designation or title.” There are inconsistencies between Shekaus in some videos and Shekaus in other videos, such as speaking in different cadences and with varying mannerisms. “In some cases he appears much heavier or much darker in skin color, and the posturing is very different between each man” according to Tracking Terrorism.

In a nutshell, Abubakar Shekau has died but his body doubles keep popping up in various videos to cause confusion for the public

Source: Wikipedia