The deposed leader of Boko Haram detained was not killed

by Aminu ABUBAKAR

The ousted leader of Boko Haram, a faction backed by ISIS, was arrested by more radical elements who took control of the group, three well-informed sources told AFP.

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Uncertainty surrounds the fate of Abu Musab Al-Barnawi after his replacement by the post of chief of the Islamic State of West Africa (ISWAP) on last month.

An audio recording of his withdrawal was posted about two weeks ago, suggesting that he would still be alive or dead.

Three sources told AFP last week that Al-Barnawi had been filed. The regional military force fighting jihadists in northeastern Nigeria has also taken note of the changing situation.

Colonel Timothy Antigha, a spokesman for the N'Djamena Joint Multinational Task Force, said the change in direction was the result of an "internal crisis".

"The Islamic State of West Africa province announced the sacking of Abu Musab Al-Barnawi and the appointment of Abu Abdullahi Ibn Umar Albarnawi," he added.

A source familiar with the group's activities told AFP that the deposed leader was now "in the custody of the new leader".

It was a bloodless shot. They had him abdicated and put him in detention, "said the source, who asked not to be identified for his personal safety.

– Meeting at the highest level –

ISWAP commanders met on February 28 in Kwalaram, one of the group's camps in the Lake Chad region, where they made the unanimous decision to replace Al-Barnawi.

The source said they had accused him of maintaining close ties with more moderate jihadists in Mali.

All commanders of ISWAP attended the Kwalaram meeting. They came by fast boats from different camps on and around the vast freshwater lake.

A second source said the meeting was convened to prevent dissent in the ranks.

"They did not kill him, they just put him in detention, their only purpose being to get him out of his way," he said.

"He is still in detention and it is unlikely that they will hurt him at the moment."

The new leaders of ISWAP were worried about the appearance of a splinter group of fighters loyal to Al-Barnawi, if he was executed, said the second source.

Al-Barnawi, who is in his mid-20s, is the son of Boko Haram founder Muhammad Yusuf, and enjoyed special recognition among his followers.

Killing him could cause disaffection and be considered a betrayal of Yusuf, still venerated by all factions of Boko Haram, including one led by his former MP, Abubakar Shekau.

"The new leaders know the possible consequences of the badbadination of Al-Barnawi as they did with Mamman Nur," said a third source, referring to the late President's number two of the # 39; ISWAP.

If another dissident faction appeared, Al-Barnawi's life would be in danger, warned the first source.

IS recognized Barnawi as the head of ISWAP after a Shekau split in mid-2016 over the latter's indiscriminate violence against civilians.

– cutting edge –

The ISWAP, which has been accused or accused of a series of attacks against the Nigerian army in recent months, has experienced domestic turmoil after the execution of Mamman Nur last year.

Nur, a former Yusuf confidant, was the mastermind of the 2011 bombing of the UN building in Abuja, which killed 26 people.

He was killed last August after more radical fighters accused him of pocketing an alleged ransom for the release of more than 100 schoolgirls from Dapchi City, Yobe.

They were also dissatisfied with Nur's more moderate approach and his discussions with the Nigerian government, which seeks to end the conflict after nearly 10 years and about 27,000 deaths.

The new leadership saw in Al-Barnawi a continuation of Nur's softer approach and decided to drive him off the market, said the third source.

"Killing Al-Barnawi is not on the table, just as Nur's murder was not on the table before the dispute over the amount of ransom," the source said.

"But everything can change depending on the consequences of the change of leadership."