CHADIAN leader Idriss Deby yesterday fueled the speculation that Boko Ha­ram leader Abubakar Shek­au is dead when he said the sect has a new leader who is ready to negotiate with the Federal Government.

Deby gave the new leader’s name as Maha­mat Daoud while address­ing the press in the capital N’Djamena on the 55th an­niversary of Chad’s inde­pendence from France. He however advised the Nige­rian government not to suc­cumb to pressure to hold talks with the militants.

“There is someone ap­parently called Mahamat Daoud who is said to have replaced Abubakar Shekau and he wants to negotiate with the Nigerian gov­ernment. “For my part, I would advise not to nego­tiate with a terrorist,” the president said.

Controversy has dogged claims by the Nigerian mil­itary that Shekau is dead, as the sect had repeatedly claimed that the dreaded leader is alive. Shekau had always appeared in videos disparaging Nigerian lead­ers and the military.

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