Blast kills around 50 in Nigeria’s Borno state

The attack reportedly took the lives of more than 40 people and injured dozens more in a crowded market in the town of Sabon Gari. Under Shekau’s leadership, the terror group’s mission has been to drive out all followers of Christ from Nigeria. He was last heard from in March, when he released an audio message pledging allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group.

Mr Deby was speaking to reporters in the Chadian capital, N’Djamena, on the 55th anniversary of Chad’s independence from France.

Deby whose troops have been involved in battling Boko Haram said Daoud was open to dialogue.

Ahamat said it is believed the owner had links with some leaders of the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram in neighboring Nigeria. Déby said he would advise Nigeria not to pursue such negotiations.

Dèby did not say what had happened to Abubakar Shekau, though he claims that the insurgency group has been weakened.

At the start of the year Boko Haram controlled territory about the size of Belgium.

Cameroon’s army on Tuesday morning repelled a violent attack by Boko Haram in the far northern locality of Ashigachia, security sources told APA.

This area is the epicenter of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, the explosion the result of a targeted bomb attack, according to Reuters. “It is within our power to definitively overcome Boko Haram“, he said.

“It was a bloody attack by a female suicide bomber and apart from the over 40 people who were killed, many sustained injuries”, he said. “But there are a number of characters claiming to represent different factions within Boko Haram, and their bona fides are often hard to verify”. Last October, Nigeria’s ceasefire attempt with Boko Haram failed.

He explained that the people are distressed as they have been forgotten by the federal government even as numerous displaced persons in Cameroon have been brought back to Nigeria.