Abubakar Shekau.
leader of a Nigerian militant group (1973-2021)
Manchester synagogue attacker's associate plans MoD terror attack, court hears
Mohammad Bashir, described as a long-standing jihadist, helped drive Jihad Al-Shamie on a reconnaissance trip to the UK Defence Academy before Al-Shamie carried out a fatal knife and vehicle attack at the Heaton Park synagogue on October 2, 2025. Bashir has pleaded guilty to planning terrorist acts and prosecutors say the pair exchanged messages showing a shared extremist worldview, with investigations highlighting their coordinated, cross-cutting plots that spanned the defence base and the synagogue attack.
World · 5 sources · Jul 23, 2026Read itThe journal
Open the journal →The conversation starts in the journal — be the first to post.
About Abubakar Shekau
Abubakar Mohammed Shekau was a Nigerian militant who was the leader of Boko Haram, an extremist organization based in northeastern Nigeria, from 2009 until his suicide in 2021 during the Battle of Sambisa Forest. He previously served as deputy leader to the group's founder, Mohammed Yusuf, until Yusuf's execution by Nigerian police in 2009.
Everything about Abubakar Shekau →- Occupation
- military personnel
- Position held
- Leader of Boko Haram
- Citizenship
- Nigeria
- Born
- March 24, 1973
- Died
- May 20, 2021, May 19, 2021