Vicious ISWAP Leader, Al-Barnawi Killed

• How he succeeded his father, B/Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf
• Led terrorists’ onslaughts on safety forces
• We’re not conscious of his dying – Army
• State of affairs dicey – Professional

Chief of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), Abu Musab Al-Barnawi has been killed in Borno State, Day by day Belief learnt from many sources.

He was reportedly killed within the final week of August, this yr.

Al-Barnawi was the son of Boko Haram founder, Mohammed Yusuf who was additionally killed by safety forces in 2009 when he launched a warfare towards the Nigerian state. Multiple thousand folks died throughout the rebellion.

In 2016, the Islamic State (IS) militant group introduced Al-Barnawi because the chief of its West African affiliate, Boko Haram, which was hitherto led by Abubakar Shekau.

Shekau took over because the group’s chief after the dying of Mohammed Yusuf.

Earlier than his dethronement, Shekau had sworn allegiance to IS in March 2015 and had killed hundreds of individuals and destroyed numerous communities throughout his reign of terror that prolonged as much as Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

His dislodgement in 2016 heralded the rise of the comparatively younger Al-Barnawi as ISWAP chief and on the similar time, the break up of the terrorist group into two factions.

It was reported that ISIS partly selected Al-Barnawi as chief within the Lake Chad area with the intention to punish Shekau who reportedly “violated all recognized norms” and to additionally retain the boldness of Boko Haram fighters who have been loyal to his father, Yusuf amid threats from different factional teams.

Al-Barnawi was additionally stated to have been skilled by ISIS for years forward of his ascension to energy.

Shekau, who was declared needed by the USA with a worth on his head, had led the Boko Haram faction with strong footing across the Sambisa forest and a part of the Mandara Mountains bordering the Cameroon Republic.

Alternatively, Al-Barnawi sustained vicious assaults particularly on army services and troops within the Lake Chad area whereas on the similar time strategising on tips on how to subdue Shekau.

He managed giant swathes of territory in Northern Borno, imposed taxes on the native inhabitants and earned severe revenue from fishing asides from the monetary and materials assist he obtained from ISIS.

Al-Barnawi’s fighters had additionally destroyed many army tremendous camps in Dikwa, Monguno, Abadam and Marte in Borno; and different army services round Geidam in Yobe State.

He equally established many cells on the Lake Chad islands and surrounding villages from the place his fighters launched assaults on Nigeria, Niger and Chad.

His dying in August, after that of Shekau in Might 2021, was seen as a turning level within the warfare towards terror at the same time as safety specialists had referred to as for sustained offensive in the direction of decimating the 2 rival teams to have an enduring peace after twelve years of uncertainty and carnage.

They stated regardless of the large give up by Boko Haram fighters, nothing needs to be taken for a experience as a result of there are a lot of fighters who nonetheless consider within the course they’re pursuing and will get well misplaced grounds in the event that they get the slightest alternative.

How Al-Barnawi was killed

There are two variations of the story of Al-Barnawi’s dying with one saying he was killed by Nigerian troops and the opposite model saying he died throughout a rival warfare inside the ISWAP camp.

The primary model revolved across the data shared amongst some safety operatives within the theatre of operation, which indicated that he was ambushed by troops throughout which 4 or 5 high ISWAP leaders and lots of foot terrorists loyal to him have been additionally killed.

A supply stated he was killed round Bula Yobe, a neighborhood close to the Borno/Yobe states border alongside Mobbar and Abadam axis that results in the Lake Chad space.

Nevertheless, a unique supply stated the Bula Yobe the place he was ambushed and killed might be accessed from Yale, Bama, Banki junction by means of the Kashimbri-Gulumba.

Different sources informed the Day by day Belief that it was management tussle that led to the dying of Al-Barnawi.

One in all them stated the battle of supremacy climaxed between August 14 and 26, 2021, and that the battle had claimed many commanders on each side.

But, one other supply stated the opposite camp had mobilised some terrorists from Central Africa to overthrow Al-Barnawi and so they succeeded.

The army excessive command in Nigeria not often confirms or denies the killing of excessive profile Boko Haram/ISWAP commanders due to the sensitivity of the problems.

This won’t be unconnected with the a number of bulletins of the killing of Boko Haram chief, Abubakar Shekau through the years just for him to resurface time and again.

It was till Might 2021, when ISWAP fighters engaged Shekau in a fierce battle that led him to kill himself at one among his enclaves on the Sambisa forest.

When contacted yesterday, the Director, Defence Data, Maj.-Gen. Benjamin Sawyer, informed one among our correspondents that he couldn’t verify when Al-Barnawi was killed as a result of troops had no hyperlink with them.

He stated, “If there’s a downside of their (Boko Haram) camp, how will I do know? We usually have a fortnightly transient on operations. If ISWAP or BHTs are preventing amongst themselves, it’s the media that at all times offers the complete nation the knowledge. It isn’t us, as a result of we’re not of their camps.”

Day by day Belief stories that Al-Barnawi fell lower than two months after he consolidated his grip following the dying of Shekau.

He had in an audio launched in Kanuri language confirmed the dying of Shekau and the triumph of his faction.

That is what he stated within the 28-minute audio, “He (Shekau) by no means thought this may occur to him even in his dream, however by the ability of God, we destabilised him.

“He turned confused and fled to the forest the place he spent 5 days, wandering and stranded. We adopted him once more the place we confronted him with heavy hearth. He ran away.

Then our troops referred to as on him to give up in order that he can be punished. We stored assuring him that we weren’t out to kill him however he was adamant and confused. As a cantankerous fellow, he believed it was higher for him to die than to give up,” he stated.

Shekau reportedly killed himself with a bomb “When he noticed that the ISWAP fighters needed to seize him alive.”

It’s a dicey challenge – Professional

A safety sector reform professional, Chukwuma Ume, whereas talking on the implications of the ISWAP chief’s killing on counter-insurgency, stated it could have each optimistic and unfavourable results on the nation.

In accordance with him, “We try to focus as a nation. We try to up our sport by way of coping with the difficulty of terrorism and insurgency.

“In as a lot as many individuals could need to say it’s a welcome growth, it exhibits that our army is waging this warfare severely as we anticipate them however a few of us will nonetheless assume {that a} unilateral output, on this case, kinetic (use of drive), might also not be the complete resolution or a complete resolution that’s required.

“This isn’t to remove something from the Nigerian army. This isn’t to take something away from our women and men out on the sector however we’re additionally calling on the federal government to be a bit extra proactive within the sense that the problems main to those: insurgency, terrorism or violent extremism needs to be handled.

“It wants a extra holistic strategy or built-in strategy. The place there are structural imperfections or imbalance, the place there are issues of exclusivity, the place folks really feel that the standard of the life they stay is on the defensive, the federal government ought to endeavour to offer these social contracts, particularly those that are hitherto deprived to turn out to be inclusive and to even have equitable distribution of supply of livelihood.

“Sure, it’s good that we appear to be profitable the warfare, however on the similar time we have to begin addressing these points that gave rise within the first occasion to insurgency,” he stated.