REVEALED: How Boko Haram Leader Shekau Killed Himself as ISWAP Forces Encircled His Forest Stronghold

New details have emerged about the final hours of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, revealing he detonated a suicide vest in May 2021 after fighters from the rival Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) surrounded his camp in Nigeria's vast Sambisa Forest.

In the closing days of May 2021, ISWAP fighters advanced into the forest in coordinated columns, broadcasting messages that they sought only Shekau and promising safety to fighters who surrendered. Witnesses described a scene of confusion and panic as the cordon tightened, with many of Shekau's fighters abandoning their posts.

The Final Confrontation

As ISWAP completed the encirclement, negotiators once more urged Shekau to surrender. He refused. ISWAP later stated Shekau died between May 18 and 19, 2021, by triggering an explosive vest when capture became inevitable. His death was confirmed days later, ending years of conflicting reports about his fate.

The Legacy of a Notorious Leader

Shekau rose to power after the death of Boko Haram's founder, Mohammed Yusuf, in 2009. He transformed the group into a brutal insurgency responsible for suicide bombings, mass kidnappings—including the 2014 abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls—and attacks on civilians, churches, and mosques across northern Nigeria.

His reign was marked by internal dissent over his extreme brutality and ideological excesses, leading to a major split in 2015 that created ISWAP. After his death, ISWAP rapidly absorbed or eliminated his remaining fighters, consolidating control of the Sambisa Forest.

While Shekau's death ended a violent era, it did not end the insurgency. ISWAP remains an active and organized threat, continuing the cycle of insecurity and humanitarian crisis across the Lake Chad region.

*Source: arewaagenda.com*