Shekau reappears in New video, wishes supporters ‘Happy Eid’

After a long disappearance, Boko Haram factional leader Abubakar Shekau has re-emerged in a new video.

There were speculations that Shekau’s health might be failing and his incapable of leading the terror groups .

However, in a 36-minute video obtained by AFP on Tuesday, Shekau was seen sitting in front of a military camouflage canvas – He wore a white robe and skull cap, and held an assault rifle.

Though Shelia didn’t look his usual self, he however made no mention of his health or reports from last month that he had high blood pressure, failing eyesight and diabetes-related complications.

According to Shekau, the video recorded on July 12 at the request of his supporters “as a kind of Eid greetings… to show that their brethren are well, in view of all sorts of things infidels are saying (about us) which we have ignored”.

The end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan was celebrated in Nigeria on June 15. It was not possible to obtain independent verification of the claimed date, and there was no explanation about the apparent delay in recording or publishing the message, AFP reports.

In May 2017, Shekau looked frail and appeared to have difficulty reading from a prepared speech, which he held close to his face in an apparent indication of vision problems.