The Islamic State (IS) says its terror affiliate in Nigeria, Boko Haram, has appointed a new leader.
According to a report by BBC, Abu Musab al-Barnawi was announced as the new leader of Boko Haram in the latest issue of an IS magazine.
Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram’s former leader, last spoke through an audio message released about a year ago.
In the message, Shekau said he was alive and had not been replaced as was being speculated among Nigeria’s security agencies.
The purported new Boko Haram leader, al-Barnawi, was formerly the spokesperson of Boko Haram, the terrorist group had said in January 2015.
In April, Nigeria’s secret police announced that it had arrested Khalid Al-Barnawi, the right-hand man of Shekau. According to the Department of State Security Services, Al-Barnawi was responsible for the bombing of the United Nations building in Abuja, on August 26, 2011.
It remains to be ascertained if there’s a connection between both Al-Barnawis while speculation is also rife regarding the current state of Abubakar Shekau.
