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In
a Boko Haram video from January 2015, Abu Musab al-Barnawi was described as the
group's spokesman BOKO HARAM VIDEO
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The
Islamic State, better known as ISIS, has announced a new leader for the
insurgent group, Boko Haram.
PREMIUM TIMES report continues:
ISIS
referred to Abu Musab al-Barnawi, who was previously spokesman for Boko Haram,
as the new leader replacing Abubakar Shekau.
Mr.
al-Barnawi is featured in the latest issue of an ISIS magazine, the BBC has
reported.
The
magazine makes no reference to Mr. Shekau.
The
eccentric Mr. Shekau was last seen in a Boko Haram propaganda video in March
2015, one of many footages released in his years of leading a brutal campaign
against the Nigerian state.
In
one of the videos, Shekau pledged allegiance to ISIS, which was originally
based in Syria and Iraq. ISIS has several offshoots now in other countries
including Libya.
Mr.
Shekau took over as Boko Haram leader after the group’s founder, Muhammad
Yusuf, died in police custody in July 2009.
Boko Haram became more
deadly and radicalized under his leadership.
Meanwhile BBC Africa Live reports that Abu Musab al-Barnawi, who
has been named as Boko Haram's new leader, is something of a mystery but
here is what we do know:
o
He appeared
in a Boko Haram video in January 2015 as the group's spokesman
o
He
wore a turban and his face was blurred out and it was filmed as a sit-down
studio interview
o
Unlike
former leader Abubakar Shekau, his delivery in the Hausa language was
considered and softly spoken
o
Mr
Shekau was often filmed in the open, surrounded by fighters, loudly proclaiming
his threats, victories and giving rambling ideological lectures
o
However,
Mr Barnawi pulled no punches, warning that towns which resisted Boko Haram in
its mission to create an Islamic state would be flattened
o
He
also spoke of being against democracy and foreign education
o
In
his most recent magazine interview, he again objected to the name Boko Haram,
by which local people call the group, as it means "Western education is
forbidden" in Hausa
o
He
maintained IS was still strong in the region and promised to continue fighting
West African governments.
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