Boko Haram’s notorious leader, Ibrahim Bakoura Doro, popularly known as Abu Oumaimah, has rejected claims by the Nigerien military that he was killed during recent air raids in the Diffa region.
The Nigerien Armed Forces (FAN) had earlier announced that Bakoura was among several insurgent commanders eliminated in precision airstrikes carried out on August 15 across Korongol, Kournawa, and Shilawa communities.
The army said the strikes destroyed Boko Haram’s supply bases, killed dozens of fighters, and took out high-ranking commanders, describing the assault as a significant blow to the terror group.
Niger’s Head of State, Gen. Abdurahamane Tiani, publicly praised the offensive, listing Bakoura as one of the key figures targeted for allegedly plotting to destabilise the country.
But in what appears to be a direct counter-narrative, intelligence sources revealed that Bakoura communicated to his lieutenants that the news of his death was fabricated.
In the intercepted message, obtained on Saturday, the Boko Haram commander said he was alive and had seen reports of his supposed demise circulating on social media.
“I heard the announcement from Niger’s army and saw it being shared widely online, but the truth is I am not dead,” Bakoura reportedly told his fighters.
Although he admitted that the airstrikes struck Boko Haram positions, Bakoura maintained he was not among those killed.
The conflicting accounts highlight the difficulty of verifying battlefield claims in the Lake Chad region, where both governments and insurgent factions frequently use propaganda as a tool of warfare.