The United States’ Department of State has said it is offering a reward of up to $7million (N2.52billion) for any information that may lead to the arrest of Nigeria’s wanted Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau.
This was disclosed in a tweet posted on Tuesday by the US State Department Rewards for Justice Program via its official French Twitter handle: @RFJ_Francais.
“The United States Department of State is offering a reward of up to $7 million for information leading to the arrest of terrorist Abubakar Shekau, leader of Boko Haram,” the tweet read when translated via Google.
Daily Trust reports that the Rewards for Justice Program is a counter-terrorism rewards programme of the US Department of State.
Le Département d’État des États-Unis offre une #récompense pouvant aller jusqu’à 7 millions de dollars pour des renseignements menant à l’arrestation du #terroriste Abubakar #Shekau, chef de #Boko_Haram.#Whatsapp: +1 202 975 9195#Telegram: @RFJ_Francais_bot pic.twitter.com/WPj00PPMsr
— Récompenses pour la Justice (@RFJ_Francais) March 3, 2020
The US bounty offer is coming exactly two years after the Nigerian Army, on February 15, 2018, placed a N3million reward on information that could lead to the arrest of Shekau.
According to the Army then, Shekau was on the run and disguised as a woman after his Sambisa hideout was bombarded by the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole.
“The Nigerian Army will give out Three Million Naira (N3,000,000.00k) cash reward for any credible information that leads to the arrest of Abubakar Shekau.
“He is desperately trying to escape the theatre disguised as a woman dressed in Hijab. We reliably gathered that to avoid detection, Abubakar Shekau alternates between blue and black coloured hijabs,” then Army spokesman, Sani Usman, had said.
It could be recalled that Shekau has been on the list of hundred most wanted Boko Haram members by the Nigerian Army since October 2015.
