although Boko Haram have Chadians and Cameroonians as members, about 80% of them are of Kanuri tribe.
**He regrouped the group, after the death of Mohammed Yusuf from drive-by shootings to launching massive bomb assaults.
Shekau is widely believed to be from Shekau village of Yobe State, but the Senate committee in its report submitted yesterday said Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima told visiting senators that the man was actually from the neighbouring Republic of Niger.
The report of the Senate joint committee, said senators were told that “although the Boko Haram sect members have some Chadians and Cameroonians within their midst about 80 per cent of them are of Kanuri tribe, adding that the leader of the sect Abubakar Shekau is a Kanuri from Niger Republic.”
Shekau became leader of the group in 2009 following the death in police custody of erstwhile leader Mohammed Yusuf.
He spearheaded the regrouping of the sect, which quickly graduated from conducting targeted drive-by shootings in Maiduguri to launching massive bomb assaults in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and other places in the North.
Although he has not been seen in public since July 2009, Shekau has released occasional internet videos in which he makes claims of responsibility of attacks and taunts the Federal Government.
In its recommendations, the 28-member Senate panel urged troops on internal security operations to adhere to the provisions of the Geneva Convention, Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement in order to minimise casualties.
The committee called on President Goodluck Jonathan to direct the armed forces to carry out urgent recruitment of soldiers and officers as insurgency has overstretched the military.
Senators are scheduled to consider the report this morning.
Source: gistpage
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