I don’t know if Shekau is dead or alive – Shekau’s mother

Mother of Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram leader, says she is not sure if her son is dead or alive. In an interview with the Hausa Service of the Voice of America, the elderly woman said the last time she saw her son was 15 years ago. Falmata said since her child met with Mohammed Yusuf, founder of the sect, he has stayed away from her. Shekau’s mother said he left the village for Maiduguri, Borno state capital, in search of Islamic knowledge. The interview took place in Shekau, a village in Yobe state. “I don’t know whether he is dead or alive, only God knows. I have not seen him in the last 15 years,” she said. “I did not set my eyes on him since he came into contact with Mohammed Yusuf. “I know he is my son, and everyone knows a mother’s love for her son, but our attitude to life is different… He has thrown many people into disasters. Where can I find him to draw his attention? He has thrown many people into violence, but I ask God to guide me. ” She said it was in the course of seeking Islamic knowledge that her son came into contact with the founder of Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf. She said the late Boko Haram leader was the one who indoctrinated her son. “I did not set my eyes on him since he came into contact with Mohammed Yusuf,” she said. “I know he is my son, and everyone knows a mother’s love for her son, but our attitude to life is different,” she said. She also said “He has put so many people in serious difficulty, I pray that God guides him right”. Ms Falmata said she will not curse his son, saying “he has chosen a path different from the one we put him on, only God knows what he has become now”.]]>