Factionalisation of Boko Haram boosted counter-insurgency operations – Nigerian General

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The emergence of Musab Al-Barnawi, a Boko Haram factional leader, was a boost to the Nigerian Army’s counter insurgency efforts, an official has said. The Commander of the Lake Chad Basin Multi-National force, Lamidi Adeosun, made this known in a telephonic press briefing with selected media outfits, including PREMIUM TIMES, at the United States’ Consulate Office in Lagos Thursday afternoon.

Mr. Adeosun, a major general, was joined on the platform by Thomas Waldhauser, Commander of United States’ Africa Command, AFRICOM; and Osman Soubagleh, Commander of African Union Mission in Somalia.

According to Mr. Adeosun, the conflict between Abubakar Shekau and Mr. Al-Barnawi has boosted the military’s operations in the north-east due to the weak link between the rival groups.

“The split is assisting the operations in a way,” he said, adding that “the linkage between his group and Shekau’s group has been severed.”

Mr. Al-Barnawi is believed to be the son of Muhammed Yusuf, the late Boko Haram founder.

Commenting further, Mr. Adeosun noted that the development weakened the stranglehold the group had on the north-east region.

Mr. Shekau pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in March 2015. But in August last year, the Islamic State, based in Iraq and Syria, announced that Mr. Al-Barnawi was in charge of its “West Africa province”.