Nigerian army offers reward for Boko Haram leaders

The military Joint Task Force (JTF) in northeast Borno state, the sect's home territory and the focus of its attacks, offered a reward of 50 million naira for the sect's self-proclaimed leader Abubakar Shekau. It offered 25 million naira for each of the men said by the JTF to be his main commanders: Habibu Yusuk, Khalis Albarnawai, Momodu Bama and Mohammed Zangina, and 10 million naira for 14 other senior members. "They are wanted in connection with terrorist activities particularly in the north east zone," a statement by the JTF in Maiduguri, Borno's capital, said on Saturday. "(This) led to the killings, bombings and assassination of civilians, religious leaders, traditional rulers, businessmen, politicians, civil servants and security personnel." Boko Haram's core group, believed to be led by Shekau, still focuses its attacks in its northeast base but the group is split into different factions spread across the north of Africa's most populous nation. It has carried out several attacks in the capital Abuja, including a suicide car bombing on the United Nations headquarters last year that killed at least 24 people.