Breaking News: 95% Of Boko Haram Founding Members Are Dead – Borno Govt Reveals

The Special Adviser to the Borno State Government on Security Affairs, Brig. Gen. Ishaq Abdullahi (Rtd), made this assertion during an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri on Sunday

According to Abdullahi, the group’s leadership is in disarray, with only a handful of the founding members possibly still alive.

The government official further explained that numerous Boko Haram senior commanders lost their lives due to power struggles between Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters and the sect who remained loyal to the late Abubakar Shekau following his demise in 2021.

“One of their leaders said out of 300 of them that started the Boko Haram sect in pre-2009, less than 10 people could be alive now. Even the remaining 10 leaders have scattered due to the game of powers.

“Some are dead as a result of snake bites in the bush, some died as a result of military actions, some drown during rainy seasons, some died due to gunshot wounds; some as a result of massive surrendering we have witnessed in the last two years.

“Some as a result of in-fighting among them because of the leadership positions, especially after the death of Shekau and that has led to the death of more than 90 per cent of the die-hards with Boko Haram ideology.

“On the other hand, many top commanders of ISWAP have lost their lives to several crises among them.

“So, if you look at it, the ideology is gone and I can tell you that those parading themselves now are criminals who don’t have the ideology,” Abdullahi told Daily Trust over the weekend