BOKO HARAM’S SHEKAU DENIES HE’S BEEN REPLACED AS LEADER OF GROUP

Abubakar Shekau

Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Nigerian Islamist militant group Boko Haram, denied a claim by the president of neighboring Chad that he has been replaced as leader of the group.


“It is a blatant lie that I have been replaced,” he said an audio recording released on Sunday that couldn’t immediately be verified. “I am alive and in charge. I will only die at the time Allah has assigned for me.”

The leader of Chad, Idriss Deby, last week said Shekau had been replaced by Mahamat Daoud who wants to negotiate with Nigeria’s government. Chad’s military has been fighting alongside Nigeria’s army against the militants.

Shekau pledged allegiance to Islamic State in the audio and described himself as the governor of the West African Islamic State.