Boko Haram breaks up, Islamic State wades in

Boko Haram breaks up, Islamic State wades in

- Boko Haram splits over ties with Islamic State (IS)

- A splinter group emerged following Abubakar Shekau's failure to adhere to guidance and instruction from the IS

- The Islamic State is making effort to reconcile the warring factions

There appears to be internal wrangle in the camp of deadly Boko Haram sect as they have reportedly split.

A big group is said to have split away from shadowy leader Abubakar Shekau over his failure to adhere to guidance from the Iraq- and Syria-based Islamic State, a senior U.S. general said on Tuesday, June 21.

Reuters reports that Marine Lieutenant General Thomas Waldhauser, the nominee to lead the U.S. military’s Africa command said the internal division showed the extent to which the Islamic State could influence Boko Haram, despite the group’s pledge of allegiance to it last year.

READ ALSO: Troops clear armed bandits in Zamfara, kill 9 (photos)

Several months ago, about half of Boko Haram broke off to a separate group because they were not happy with the amount of buy-in, if you will, from Boko Haram into the ISIL brand,” he said.

According to him, Shekau had not been adhering to the instructions of the Islamic State and had been ignoring calls for Boko Haram to stop using children as suicide bombers.

He’s been told by ISIL to stop doing that. But he has not done so. And that’s one of the reasons why this splinter group has broken off," Waldhauser added.

He said the Islamic State was trying to reconcile the two groups.

Waldhauser noted that the Islamic State has not given a lot of financial assistance to Boko Haram militants except maybe in training and the like.

He said he was more concerned about the breakoff group of Boko Haram who want to be more ISIL-like, and consequently buy into the ISIL-brand of attacking Western interests.

READ ALSO: NAF foils Boko Haram ambush, kills 15 terrorists

Waldauser wondered if they would act in more in concert with Islamic State’s transregional ambitions. “That would concern me,” he said.

U.S. officials believe the Boko Haram’s loyalty pledge had so far mostly been a branding exercise as there was no evidence that they had so far received significant operational support or financing from Islamic State.

No fewer than 15,000 people have been killed since 2009, when Boko Haram launched its campaign of violence.

In March 2015, report surfaced that the Nigeria-based Islamist terror group pledged allegiance to IS and the Syrian-based Islamic extremist group accepted the pledge.

For months now, the Nigerian military has been taking back some territory from the insurgents and also smoking them out of their hiding places.

On Sunday, June 19, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) foiled a plan by Boko Haram terrorists to ambush surface forces harboured at Doron Naira, north of Borno state.

Days earlier, a Boko Haram suspect was reportedly arrested in Gombi, Adamawa state while withdrawing some money from an Automated Teller Machine (ATM).

Source: Legit.ng

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