The Interim Council of the ISWAP-Boko Haram terrorist group, headed by Abu Mus’ab Al-Barnawiy, has reshuffled the leadership and structures of the extremist sect, after the death of some of their leaders.
The leadership ‘restructuring’ in line with a directive from ISIS Headquarters in Iraq, is necessitated by the recent losses of some of ISWAP-Boko Haram commanders to military offensives, and the realignment of forces by the hitherto separate insurgents’ groups.
It was also gathered that the terrorist group has also lifted the ban imposed on fishing and farming activities in the Lake Chad area, three years after chasing people out of Marte, Abadam, Kukawa and Guzamala, over alleged spying for Nigerian troops.
It nevertheless, imposed new taxes and levies in the areas controlled by ISWAP-Boko Haram, to regulate trades and agricultural activities.
Henceforth, members of the terrorist sect will be collecting N5,000 monthly from traders and farmers, while the fishermen will pay N2,000 per bag of fish among other levies.
Several fishermen, farmers and merchants have returned to the Lake-Chad area to engage in socio-economic activities, under the arrangement of the new ISWAP-Boko Haram Leadership, also gathered.