The Nigerian Army has said that Abubakar Shekau, the main leader of the Islamist terrorist group, Boko Haram was no longer posing a threat to its counter-insurgency operations.

In a statement released by the Theatre Command, Operation Lafiya Dole in Abuja through its Director of Army Operations, Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, the Army said Shekau was in a terrible state of health and was simply waiting for his waterloo.

The statement further disclosed that the sect’s factional leader, Abu Mus’ab Albarnawiy, who has been misleading and recruiting misguided and gullible youths into their fold would soon be captured.

Brig.-Gen. Usman also said that another factional leader of the militant group, Mamman Nur Agaldi was wounded and consequently crippled after he was hit by the Nigerian Army while he was on a motorcycle in Mubi in 2014.

“We reliably learnt that some misguided persons, particularly youths are getting conscripted into the sect through enticements. They are usually attracted to the sect because of the deceitful and erroneous impression that Abu Mus’ab Albarnawiy’s brand of ‘jihad’ is refined and genuine,” Brig.-Gen. Usman said in the statement.

He therefore warned the general public, especially those in the northern part of the country to be wary of unscrupulous elements attempting to lure and recruit more youths into the sect which he said has devised new tricks of evading air onslaughts against them.