Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau and his top commanders are reportedly angling for a ceasefire following sustained pressure from the military.
Intelligence sources in the Theatre of Operations in the North-East disclosed that Shekau is currently frantically seeking a means to surrender.
“I think the end of Boko Haram is coming close as Abubakar Shekau has been making overtures through proxies for a soft landing for him to surrender to the Nigerian authorities,” Vanguard quoted an unnamed intelligence source as saying.
“He has been desperate about it, and the intensity is occasioned with the avalanche of coordinated operations launched in recent times against the group, especially in the Timbuktu triangle.
“The gap is closing in on Abubakar Shekau as it stands. The series of coordinated attacks on their hideouts have made it impossible for any escape as the military has been attacking from several flanks, and any attempt to escape now is virtually impossible.
“The Chief of Army Staff has given an order that Abubakar Shekau is captured alive. The Chief has been in Borno State and there is a likelihood that he is going to be around for a long period given his body language of not leaving anything to chance in this critical operation. As a fact, he has joined several reconnaissance operations around the Timbuktu triangle, after which he issued specific directives with the Intelligence gathered from the reconnaissance operations.
“He has also been in the trenches with some commanders holding meetings and analyzing Intelligence. I can tell you that everyone is on top of their game as the strategy is clear for all to understand.”
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The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major-General John Enenche, gave a hint on Friday when he told selected newsmen that insurgents had been surrendering in large numbers in the past 48 hours.
Another intelligence source in the North-East affirmed that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai’s presence on the ground has further boosted morale of the men and given impetus to counterinsurgency operations.
The source added that troops have been vigorously carrying out the COAS’s directive to ensure that women and children are not harmed in the operations.
The source further disclosed that the counterinsurgency operations have been receiving “phenomenal” support from Nigeria’s neighbours in the Lake Chad region.
“I can tell you now that troops have blocked the usual escape routes for the Boko Haram terrorist group into Chad, Niger, and Cameroon. The level of cooperation experienced now has been quite phenomenal.
“The routes through which they bring their arms and ammunition have been taken over by troops from the Multinational Joint Task Force. This action has placed the Boko Haram group in disarray hence their inability to launch attacks anymore,” the source stated.