The changing faces of Abubakar Shekau prove he is dead?

The repeated death and rebirth of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau is one issue that has been trailed by controversy.

Shekau has been killed or fatally wounded at least five times by Nigerian security forces.

But under his leadership, Boko Haram has killed thousands of people and displaced more than 2 million.

However, just when many believe we have seen the last of him, Shekau always finds a way to ‘resurrect’.

The changing faces of Abubakar Shekau prove he is dead?

Every time reports of his death surface, he resurfaces days or months later in video or audio recordings, claiming to be alive and well.

His latest video comes two months after the sect leader released a footage to deny military’s claims that he had been killed and mocked the Nigerian government.

Although it is not clear when or where this new video was filmed, or who is actually in it, the Nigerian Army has described the video as mere propaganda.

In the past, the military said Boko Haram was using look-alike fighters to impersonate the supposedly dead Shekau.

Although it is difficult to say whether Shekau is dead or alive, NAIJ.com has highlighted contradictions in Shekau’s new video that raises doubts in the authenticity of the video and face behind it.

1. The new Shekau appears thinner

The changing faces of Abubakar Shekau prove he is dead?

2. He appears darker in colour

The changing faces of Abubakar Shekau prove he is dead?

3. The tone of the new Shekau differs from the previous one.

The Shekau in this video below looks more fierce and talks with so much vigour than the new one.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau appeared in a new video today, December 29, to deny claims that the insurgent group has been crushed and flushed out of its Sambisa forest stronghold.

This comes five days after President Muhammadu Buhari announced that the Nigerian military had succeeded in liberating Sambisa forest, one of Boko Haram’s hideout.

NAIJ.com has also highlighted ten key things Abubakar Shekau said in the new video. We were able to obtain 11-minute fragment only from the 25-minute video.