Boko Haram: Deby’s Troops Hunt For Shekau, Says Nigerian Army Unserious

By Fola James

Chad’s President Idris Deby surely knows how to deal with boko haram fighters who have held most of Nigeria’s north east hostage for years.

On Sunday, April 4, Deby and his troops inflicted heavy casualties on the insurgents, capturing the terrorists’ largest arms dump situated in the Sambisa forest in the process.

A hoard of boko haram fighters were also killed and others captured by Chad’s troops.

Now, President Deby has told, Abaubakar Shekau, the leader of the group to either surrender of die.

Deby who spoke less than 24 hours after his troops inflicted heavy casualties on the terrorists said, Shekau has the option of surrendering or risk being killed in his hideout.

The Chad’s leader warned that Shekau will be treated the same way some of his commanders were killed.

Three weeks ago, the Shekau-led terrorists launched a surprise attack on Deby’s troop, killing 92 soldiers including some top commanders of the country’s army.

Deby, had after the onslaught, vowed to avenge the killing of his troops by boko haram and their ISWAP allies, who are currently occupying swathes of land in the northern part of Nigeria.

For more than seven-hour, the dare-devil ambushed Chadian troops and killed 92 soldiers, Deby in response launched Operation Wrath of Bomo to avenge the death of his men.

President Deby was believed to have led Chadian forces to battle at Kelkoua bank and Magumeri where they fired rockets and 12.5mm rounds ammunition on the criminals.

The troops were said to have also destroyed several terrorists’ bunkers, recovered cache of arms and arrested a top Boko Haram commander.

Surprisingly, the sect’s leadership appears to have been shocked by the Chad’s military onslaught on their troops and have unwittingly called for a truce,

Shekau had after the casualties suffered by his fighters in the hands of Deby’s army begged that they be left alone.

Shekau begged that “People of Chad, leave us alone, this operation is not approved by the Qur’an.

It is not the will of the Prophet Muhammed, but if you want to continue, God will help us too because he is bigger than you. To my fighters, take heart. It is I, Abubakar Shekau, your leader.”

The plea appears not to sit well with the angry Chad’s soldiers who are bent on smoking out the terrorists in their hide out to avenge the death of their compatriots.

President Deby had said few days ago that time is running out for the multinational army set up by Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Benin Republic to defeat.

The Multinational Joint Taskforce (MNJTF) was established few years ago by the four countries in the Sahel region to combat the threat posed by the terrorists.

But in an apparent anger, Deby has accused Nigeria of laying-back in the fight against the killer fighters.

The terrorists had killed 42 Nigerian soldiers almost the same time they killed 92 Chad’s soldiers.

Much, however, has not been done on the Nigerian side to further decimate the terrorists, analysts say.

Few days ago, General Ademola Adeniyi, the former theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole was sacked by the military leadership after he revealed in a viral video that the nation’s military lacked necessary intelligence and weapons to fightb the terrorists.