Boko Haram terrorists allegedly kill factional leader

- The factional leader of the Boko Haram terrorist sect, Mamman Nur, has allegedly been killed by his closest lieutenants

- Nur was allegedly killed on August 21, after a long period of disagreement with his subordinates

- A major disagreement had allegedly broken out after the release of the school girls abducted in a secondary school in Dapchi

- The military is yet to react to this alleged development

Mamman Nur, the factional leader of the Boko Haram sect loyal to the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA), has allegedly been killed by his fighters who rebelled against him.

According to Daily Trust, Nur was allegedly killed by his closest lieutenants on Tuesday, August 21.

Nur was the one who led the rebellion against Abubakar Shekau in 2014, which led to the emergence of the Abu Mus’ab Al-Barnawy faction of the sect.

A source with knowledge of the matter reportedly stated: “Mamman Nur, who was killed on August 21, is the actual leader of the Boko Haram faction after they parted ways with Shekau.

“He (Nur) only put Habib in the front as shadow leader because of his father (Mohammed Yusuf). The name Al-Barnawy is only being heard as symbolic leader.

“He was meant to lead, so that followers would remain committed to the cause championed by his late father but he (Nur) is the major link of the faction with the Islamic State; the chief strategist around Lake Chad, including their cells in Nigeria, Niger and Chad.”

According to another reported source, Nur was killed after long period of disagreement with his subordinates who established “relative authority and contacts” over the years.

The source reportedly added: “The commanders became disenchanted with Nur’s style of leadership; they saw him as not as rough as Shekau.

“They followed him in staging the revolt because the argument back in 2014 was that Shekau was a hardliner who killed almost everyone, both Muslims and Christians who disagreed with his brand of Islam.

“But according to some of the fighters, after establishing his base in Lake Chad, Mamman Nur too ‘deviated from the real course’ and compromised on so many occasions.”

According to the source, a major disagreement had broken out after the release of the school girls abducted in a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe state.

He said: “The negotiation of the release of the girls did not go down well with some close associates of Mamman Nur who released the girls unconditionally, following a directive by Al-Baghdadi.

“Nothing was paid before the girls were released and besides, Mamman Nur’s soft approach and close contact to governments and different levels angered his foot soldiers who rebelled against him and thereafter executed him.”

The military is yet to react to this alleged development.