A UK-based Nigerian counter-terrorism expert has said emphatically that Abubakar Shekau, leader of Boko Haram terrorist group, is still very much alive despite repeated claims by the Nigerian military – and once by the Camerounian Army – that he has been killed.

Francis Okoemu, who has spent considerable time studying the Boko Haram insurgency, told News Express: “Shekau is not dead. This not a new story at all. Based on information from reliable UK sources, I have always known that he is still alive and remains in charge of Boko Haram.”

Okoemu said he was not therefore surprisd that Shekau is among the over 100 top Boko Haram chiefs on the poster of wanted terrorists released earlier this week by the Nigerian Army.

He said that while President Muhammadu Buhari has been trying his best to end the insurgency, more remains to be done to meet the December 2015 deadline to achieve victory over Boko Haram.

Mr. Okoemeu, who is based in Manchester, holds a BA Degree in Contemporary Military and International History,  a Master’s Degree in Terrorism and Security Studies, and PGD in Intelligence and Security Studies, both awarded by the University of Salford, Manchester, UK. Okoemu has attended counter-terrorism courses in Israel, the United States of America, and other security courses in the UK, which include close protection, intelligence gathering and terrorism threat and response. He is a member of the UK’s Security Industry Authority (SIA) and chairman /CEO, Blackwell Security Consultancy, UK Ltd.