Boko Haram Leader Described as Ruthless, Radical [View all]

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Source: Voice Of America

The video is grainy. The man speaking is brash, almost laughing at points. But his message is chilling: “I abducted your girls. … By Allah, I will sell them in the marketplace.”

With that, Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram, finally confirmed this week that the militant Islamic group was responsible for kidnapping nearly 300 schoolgirls in northern Nigeria on April 14.

Little is known about Shekau. He may be in his mid 30s or as old as his mid 40s. He rarely speaks directly to Boko Haram members, choosing to communicate with only a few select cell leaders in the group. He was thought to have been killed at least twice, only to reappear later, including in 2010 when he announced he was the new leader of Boko Haram. He hasn’t been seen in public since 2009 and makes most of his pronouncements through online videos.

But among the things most media reports agree on is that Shekau is ruthless and adheres to a radical ideology.

Read more: http://www.voanews.com/content/abubakar-shekau-who-is-the-leader-of-boko-haram/1909717.html