One conclusion appears inescapable, that Nigeria’s armed forces knew Shekau’s long-standing location in the Sambisa Forest, yet repeatedly refrained from breaching that enclave. The area was treated as an untouchable zone, clearly showing that his continued survival served vested interests.
The implication is that keeping Boko Haram and Shekau in particular alive sustained an atmosphere of perpetual war, one that justified massive defence spending, opaque security contracts, and an endless flow of “counter-terrorism” funds.
In this calculus, victory was less profitable than a stalemate.Further reinforcing this concern are accounts from additional sources suggesting that the ISWAP unit that ultimately killed Shekau acted with foreknowledge, or even tacit approval, from elements within the security establishment. Seen in this light, repeated announcements by the Nigerian Army over the years that “Shekau had been killed” were never truthful, but were signals. Each denial, each resurfacing video from Shekau, helped sustain the narrative of an ongoing threat and, with it, the continued release of defence dollars.Shekau was not merely an enemy of the state; he was also a grim utility within a corrupt security economy, one that thrived on fear, secrecy, and endless war. #RevolutionNow
