Overview

Abu Abdullah ibn Umar al-Barnawi, better known as Ba Idrisa, was the U.S.-designated former leader of Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), a splinter group of Boko Haram. The U.S. Department of State designated Ba Idrisa as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist on September 10, 2019.“Designation of Abu Abdullah ibn Umar al-Barnawi as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist,” Federal Register, September 19, 2019, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/09/19/2019-20282/designation-of-abu-abdullah-ibn-umar-al-barnawi-as-a-specially-designated-global-terrorist. Following internal disputes within ISWAP, Ba Idrisa was executed by ISWAP fighters on February 27, 2020.“Nigeria Security situation,” European Union, June 2021, https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1405116/download; Elizabeth Pearson and Jacob Zenn, “Boko Haram, the Islamic State, and the Surge in Female Abductions in Southeastern Niger,” International Centre for Counter Terrorism, February 2021, https://icct.nl/app/uploads/2021/02/Pearson-And-Zenn-research-paper.pdf; Bassim Al-Hussaini, ‘Nigeria: ISWAP, Terror Group in Nigeria, Rebrands, Reversing Tradition, All Africa, February 27, 2020, https://allafrica.com/stories/202002270840.html.

Ba Idrisa was a close follower of Muhammed Yusuf—ISWAP’s leader from 2004 until his death by Nigerian security forces in July 2009. Yusuf’s son, Abubakar Shekau, was then appointed leader before being deposed by Abu Musab al-Barnawi, a close confidante of Ba Idrisa, in August 2016.Jacob Zenn, “Boko Haram Factionalization: Who are Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) Fighters in Niger and Chad?,” Jamestown Foundation, June 14, 2019, https://jamestown.org/program/boko-haram-factionalization-who-are-islamic-state-in-west-africa-province-iswap-fighters-in-niger-and-chad/. Ba Idrisa reportedly questioned Shekau’s interpretation of the Quran, which he believed to be flawed.“Fergus Kelly, “Islamic State enforced leadership change in West Africa province, audio reveals,” Defense Post, March 15, 2019, https://www.thedefensepost.com/2019/03/15/new-islamic-state-west-africa-leader-audio-nigeria/. In February of 2019, ISWAP leader al-Barnawi was reportedly removed as the leader of the jihadist group.“ISIS-backed Boko Haram faction allegedly gets new leader,” Punch, March 5, 2019, https://punchng.com/isis-backed-boko-haram-faction-allegedly-gets-new-leader/; “Deposed Boko Haram leader detained not killed: sources,” France 24, March 15, 2019, https://www.france24.com/en/20190315-deposed-boko-haram-leader-detained-not-killed-sources.

On March 4, 2019, Boko Haram announced that al-Barnawi was demoted to a member of the group’s shura council, and that Ba Idrisa replaced him as leader.Jacob Zenn, “Who is the Leader of ISWAP? – Confusion Continues Over Leadership of Islamic State in West Africa Province,” Jamestown Foundation Militant Leadership Monitor 10, no. 10, November 4, 2019, https://jamestown.org/brief/who-is-the-leader-of-iswap-confusion-continues-over-leadership-of-islamic-state-in-west-africa-province/. The leadership shake-up occurred against the backdrop of larger internal disputes within the organization.Jacob Zenn, “Islamic State in West Africa Province’s Factional Disputes and the Battle With Boko Haram,” The Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor 18, no. 6, March 20, 2020, https://jamestown.org/program/islamic-state-in-west-africa-provinces-factional-disputes-and-the-battle-with-boko-haram/. Allegedly, Ba Idrisa endorsed a more extreme approach compared to his predecessors, and in March 2019, ISWAP incorporated Islamic State in Greater Sahara (ISGS) within the ISWAP umbrella further expanding insurgent operations across Nigeria, Niger, and Chad.“Nigeria Security situation,” European Union, June 2021, https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1405116/download. Given Ba Idrisa’s role as ISWAP leader, the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Ba Idrisa as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and Specially Designated National on September 10, 2019.“Designation of Abu Abdullah ibn Umar al-Barnawi as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist,” Federal Register, September 19, 2019, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/09/19/2019-20282/designation-of-abu-abdullah-ibn-umar-al-barnawi-as-a-specially-designated-global-terrorist.

In early 2020, infighting within Boko Haram continued and Ba Idrisa, was removed as ISWAP leader.Jacob Zenn, “Islamic State in West Africa Province’s Factional Disputes and the Battle With Boko Haram,” The Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor 18, no. 6, March 20, 2020, https://jamestown.org/program/islamic-state-in-west-africa-provinces-factional-disputes-and-the-battle-with-boko-haram/. According to the Multinational Joint Task Force, the leadership change was the result of an “internal crisis.”Agence France-Presse, “Deposed Boko Haram leader detained not killed: sources,” France 24, March 15, 2019, https://www.france24.com/en/20190315-deposed-boko-haram-leader-detained-not-killed-sources. Ba Idrisa allegedly fell out of favor within the insurgent group after he refused to initiate a campaign that would portray members who abandoned the group as murdtadun, an Islamic reference to apostasy.Bassim Al-Husaini, “Nigeria: ISWAP, Terror Group in Nigeria, Rebrands, Reversing Tradition,” All Africa, February 27, 2020, https://allafrica.com/stories/202002270840.html. According to various intelligence reports, Ba Idrisa was executed by ISWAP fighters on February 27, 2020.“Nigeria Security situation,” European Union, June 2021, https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1405116/download; Elizabeth Pearson and Jacob Zenn, “Boko Haram, the Islamic State, and the Surge in Female Abductions in Southeastern Niger,” International Centre for Counter Terrorism, February 2021, https://icct.nl/app/uploads/2021/02/Pearson-And-Zenn-research-paper.pdf; Bassim Al-Hussaini, ‘Nigeria: ISWAP, Terror Group in Nigeria, Rebrands, Reversing Tradition, All Africa, February 27, 2020, https://allafrica.com/stories/202002270840.html.