Boko Haram Islamist Cult

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Three blasts hit churches in Nigeria Kaduna province
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18475853

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Three blasts have hit churches in the northern Nigerian state of Kaduna.

Local emergency services reportedly rushed to the scene but did not release any reports of casualties.

All of the blasts happened close to the city of Zaria. Kaduna state has previously seen attacks by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram.

Last week the group attacked two church services, sparking violence which killed seven people. Hundreds have died in its previous attacks on churches.

Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) said the blasts happened in the Wusasa and Sabon-Gari districts of Zaria.

Wusasa is the site of the first church to be built in northern Nigeria.

Boko Haram has previously justified attacks on churches by saying they were carried out in revenge for killings of Muslims in central Nigeria during earlier bouts of violence.

Recently, hardly a Sunday goes by without reports of churches being attacked in Nigeria, the BBC's Will Ross reports from Lagos.

Boko Haram says it wants Islamic sharia law in place across Nigeria and analysts suggest it is trying to trigger clashes between Christians and Muslims, our correspondent says.

Last weekend an archbishop in central Nigeria appealed to Christians not to retaliate when churches are attacked, he adds.

 

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36 killed in the explosions, then 20 more die in revenge attacks. Boko Haram got the sectarian disorder it desired.

Nigeria: Dozens dead in church bombings and rioting
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18475853

Nigeria under attack

Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
'They bombed my church'
Who are Boko Haram?

At least 36 people have been killed in multiple blasts at at least three churches in the northern Nigerian state of Kaduna, and in subsequent reprisals.

Officials said at least 16 people died and dozens were injured in the blasts.

Some 20 more people were killed in later rioting apparently targeting Muslims, aid workers and witnesses said.

Kaduna state authorities have imposed a 24-hour curfew as soldiers and police try to restore order.

No-one has yet claimed responsibility for the blasts, but Kaduna state has previously seen attacks by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram.

Last week the group attacked two church services, sparking violence which killed seven people. Hundreds have died in its previous attacks on churches.

Revenge attacks
Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency said two of the blasts happened in the Wusasa and Sabon-Gari districts of Zaria.

Wusasa is the site of the first church to be built in northern Nigeria.

A third blast reportedly hit the nearby city of Kaduna, the state capital.

Unconfirmed reports from AFP news agency say explosions have hit two further churches in the state, south of Kaduna city, bringing the total number of attacks to five.

Red Cross officials told the agency that more than 20 bodies had been recovered after rioting, most "burned beyond recognition", and witnesses reported that Christian youths at a roadblock south of Kaduna were pulling Muslims out of cars and killing them.

Boko Haram has previously justified attacks on churches by saying they were carried out in revenge for killings of Muslims in central Nigeria during earlier bouts of violence.

Recently, hardly a Sunday has gone by without reports of churches being attacked in Nigeria, the BBC's Will Ross reports from Lagos.

Boko Haram says it wants Islamic sharia law in place across Nigeria and analysts suggest it is trying to trigger clashes between Christians and Muslims, our correspondent says.

Last weekend an archbishop in central Nigeria appealed to Christians not to retaliate when churches were attacked, he adds.

 

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Nigeria's Boko Haram: Damaturu and Kaduna under curfew
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18508092

The bombings have led to revenge attacks between Christians and Muslims

Nigeria under attack

Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
'They bombed my church'
Who are Boko Haram?

Nigerian authorities have imposed a curfew in the north-eastern city of Damaturu after clashes between Islamist militants and the army - and reinstated a Kaduna state-wide ban on movements.

The violence broke out on Monday, escalating overnight, with unconfirmed reports suggesting at least 25 deaths.

It follows Sunday's suicide bomb attacks, claimed by Boko Haram, on churches in Kaduna state.

Nigeria's main Christian body called the attacks "religious cleansing".

Sunday's suicide bomb attacks killed 16 people and sparked deadly revenge attacks in Kaduna, killing scores.

In a statement released to the AFP news agency, the Christian Association of Nigeria said the bombings were a clear indication that Boko Haram "has declared war on Christians and Christianity in Nigeria".

"The pattern of bombings and gun attacks suggests to us a systematic religious cleansing which reminds Christians of the genesis of a Jihad," it said.

The Christian group also criticised President Goodluck Jonathan's response, saying this had "cast a hallmark of weakness" on his presidency.

Scared
The Nigerian Red Cross told the Associated Press news agency that at least 25 people had died in the clashes at Damaturu - 20 civilians and five members of the security forces.

Other observers suggest the death toll may be higher.

A senior hospital official told AFP: "So far we have 34 dead bodies in the morgue. The figure is likely to rise."

Residents were too scared to leave their homes.


Gunfire was now restricted to a few areas of the city, Yobe State police chief Patrick Egbuniwe is reported as saying.

Damaturu, the capital of rural Yobe state, is 130km (80 miles) west of Maiduguri, the stronghold of the radical Islamist group.

Kaduna state authorities have reimposed a 24-hour curfew after an outbreak of violence in parts of Kaduna city on Tuesday.

Reuters reports that Muslim youths have taken to the city's streets and fired guns, burnt tyres and destroyed a church.

Revenge attacks between Christians and Muslims have been occurring since Sunday's bombings.

Boko Haram - which means "Western education is forbidden" - has said it carried out the attacks.

The group wants Islamic law, or Sharia, to be imposed across Nigeria - and has carried out a series of deadly attacks in the past two years.

 

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Nigeria Christmas Day bombings suspect arrested
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18551029

The Christmas Day attack was one of several directed at Nigeria's Christians

Nigeria under attack

Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
'They bombed my church'
Who are Boko Haram?

One of the men accused of responsibility for Nigeria's Christmas Day bombings, which killed dozens, has been arrested, security sources say.

Habibu Bama, a former soldier, was shot during his arrest in the north-eastern city of Damaturu, the sources say.

He is accused of being a member of the Boko Haram Islamist group, which has killed hundreds of people.

On Thursday, the US state department designated three Boko Haram leaders as terrorists.

Mr Bama, is believed to have masterminded the December 2011 attacks on a church near the capital, Abuja, as well as previous attacks on the UN headquarters and a military base, security sources have told the BBC.

In January, Kabiru Sokoto, another suspect in the Christmas Day bombings escaped from custody before being recaptured the following month.

His escape last month was a huge embarrassment for the police, whose leading officer was sacked shortly afterwards.

The security sources say Mr Bama was declared a wanted man shortly after Mr Sokoto was arrested.

'Religious cleansing'
The three Boko Haram leaders designated as terrorists are: Abubakar Shekau; Abubakar Adam Kambar and Khalid el Barnawi.

The move means any assets belonging to the men in the US will be frozen, and contact with US citizens banned.

More than 100 people have been killed this week in bombings, revenge attacks and gun battles in Damaturu and Kaduna.

Attacks on churches in Kaduna on Sunday, sparked reprisals against members of the Muslim community.

The head of the Christian Association of Nigeria suggested that the attacks on Christians resembled "religious cleansing".

Boko Haram has said it has carried out a number of attacks against government establishments, churches and other target since 2009.

The group, whose name means "Western education is a sacrilege" in the Hausa language, is based in the mainly Muslim north of Nigeria.

The south of the oil rich country is mostly Christian.

 

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Looks as if this is the work of Boko Haram rather than a revenge attack.

Nigeria suicide bomber targets Maiduguri mosque
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18834387

The palace of the Shehu of Borno is in the centre of Maiduguri

Nigeria under attack

Fuel on the fire
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
Who are Boko Haram?

A suicide bomber has killed five people at a mosque in the north-eastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, security officials say.

The attack, reportedly by a teenage boy, narrowly missed one of Nigeria's most revered Muslim traditional leaders, the Shehu of Borno.

The blast happened at a mosque near his palace in the centre of the city as Friday prayers finished.

Maiduguri is the stronghold of the militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

BBC Nigeria analyst Jimeh Saleh says the group has not targeted a mosque before, but it is known to have assassinated Muslim leaders.

"A lone suicide bomber blew himself up while targeting some dignitaries coming back from the Friday prayer," Bala Hassan, Borno state's police commissioner, told the AFP news agency.

Deputy state governor Zanna Umar Mustapha said he was standing next to Shehu Umar Garbai el-Kanemi when the bomb went off.

"It was God that saved me and the Shehu, otherwise we would have been dead by now," he told AFP, adding that the religious leader's clothes were splattered with blood.

Just over a year ago, Boko Haram claimed responsibility for assassinating the Shehu's younger brother in Maiduguri.

At the time a sect spokesman said traditional institutions would come in for attack for colluding with the authorities.

Boko Haram, which means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language, seeks to overthrow Nigeria's government and establish an Islamic state.

The group adheres to a strain of Islam that outlaws any kind of activity linked to Western culture.

Its militants have stepped up attacks in the last year, targeting the UN headquarters in the capital, Abuja, churches and security buildings.

The subsequent military crackdown in northern Nigeria has failed to improve the security situation and some argue it has also prompted the Islamist militants to increase the number of attacks.

Earlier this week, the group said it killed two politicians in Jos who were attending a funeral for people killed in communal violence in Plateau state, which lies on the fault line between Nigeria's mainly Muslim north and Christian and animist south.

Boko Haram first came to prominence in 2009 when hundreds of its followers were killed when they attacked police stations in Maiduguri.

The next year the group started to stage drive-by shootings on government targets in revenge for the death of their founder in police custody.

 

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Nigeria Muslim school in Jos targeted by rocket
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18871816

Nigeria - Troubled Giant

Fuel scam: Decision time
Guide to Nigeria's trouble spots
Who are Boko Haram?
On the brink?

A 10-year-old boy has died after a rocket was fired at a school in the Nigerian city of Jos but missed and hit a nearby building, officials say.

The school authorities say the boy was not a pupil at the large co-educational institution owned by the city's Muslim community.

The BBC's Ishaq Khalid in Jos says the students were sitting their exams at the time of the blast.

Jos has witnessed years of inter-ethnic and religious violence.

Our reporter says it is not the first time that the Nurul Islam junior and senior school has experienced trouble.

Several weeks ago some people were arrested and a bomb defused in the area surrounding the school, he says.

Jos is the capital of Plateau state, which lies on the fault line between Nigeria's mainly Muslim north and Christian and animist south.

The militant Islamist group Boko Haram, which is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state, has also been behind various attacks in the city, mainly on churches.

Last week it said it had killed two politicians who were attending a funeral for people who died during communal violence in Plateau state.

 

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Nigeria church attack in Kogi state 'kills 19'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19161082

Nigeria under attack

Fuel on Jos fire
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
Who are Boko Haram?

At least 19 people have been killed in a gun attack on a church in central Nigeria, officials say.

Gunmen stormed the church near the city of Okene in Kogi state and fired on worshippers, they say.

The pastor was among those killed when the assailants fired Kalashnikov assault rifles, the officials add.

It is not clear who carried out the attack but militant Islamist group Boko Haram has carried out numerous raids on churches and other targets in Nigeria.

BBC Nigeria correspondent Will Ross says the shooting happened further south than most areas affected by Boko Haram violence.

The joint military force commander in Kogi state, Lt Col Gabriel Olorunyomi, said the gunmen opened fire on the Deeper Life Bible Church in the town of Otite, near Okene, the AP news agency reports.

Many others were wounded in the attack and rushed to different hospitals, Lt Col Gabriel Olorunyomi said.

The authorities are searching for more victims who may have run into the bush nearby, he added.

In April, Nigeria's security forces raided a suspected bomb-making factory in the Okene area, killing at least nine alleged Boko Haram militants.

In February, Boko Haram said it had attacked a jail in Kogi, using bombs and heavy gunfire to free 119 inmates.

But most Boko Haram attacks have been staged in the largely Muslim north of Nigeria.

The groups wants to establish Islamic law in the country, whose large Christian and animist population mainly lives in the south.

 

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I hope it was armed Boko Harem members who were shot.

Nigeria army 'kills 20 Boko Haram Islamists'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19234669
Nigeria under attack

Fuel on Jos fire
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
Who are Boko Haram?

Nigerian troops have killed 20 suspected members of the militant Islamist group Boko Haram in the north-east of the country, the army says.

One government soldier also died in a shootout in the town of Maiduguri.

Boko Haram has recently carried out numerous raids on churches and other targets in Nigeria.

The group wants to establish Islamic law in the country, whose large Christian and animist population mainly lives in the south.

On Sunday, the army said it acted on intelligence that a number of Boko Haram members were holding a gathering at a location in Maiduguri.

"Our men mobilised, leading to a shootout. Twenty suspected terrorists were killed while a soldier died in the operation and two others sustained injuries," army commander told the AFP news agency.

Boko Haram has not publicly commented on the army's claim.

Most of Boko Haram attacks have been staged in the largely Muslim north, but the group has also targeted churches in central Nigeria.

 

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Nigeria confirms informal Boko Haram talks
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19388695

Boko Haram has carried out a string of recent attacks across Nigeria

Nigeria under attack

Fuel on Jos fire
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
Who are Boko Haram?

The Nigerian government says it has started informal talks with Boko Haram to try to end deadly attacks by the militant Islamist group.

A presidential spokesman said the dialogue was through "backroom channels", without elaborating further.

The group's main faction earlier this week ruled out peace talks.

Boko Haram, which wants to create an Islamic state, is accused of killing hundreds of people and targeting churches and other targets.

"The form of the dialogue is that backroom channels are being used to reach across with the sole objective of understanding what exactly the grievances of these persons are, what exactly can be done to resolve the crises," presidential spokesman Reuben Abati said.

He said this was being done "in the overall best interest of ensuring peace and stability in Nigeria and the security of life and property".

The spokesman added that the talks were going on with at least some members. Boko Haram, whose name means Western education is forbidden, is known to have several factions.

This is the first official government confirmation of dialogue with the militant group, the BBC's Nigeria correspondent Tomi Oladipo reports.

An earlier attempt at peace talks collapsed very quickly.

The group has so far made no public comments over the latest revelation of the ongoing attempts towards negotiations, our correspondent says.

Nigeria is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian and animist south.

Boko Haram has staged most of its attacks in northern areas, but has also carried out some in the capital, Abuja and the volatile central city of Jos, where tension is high between rival Muslim and Christian communities.

 

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Boko Haram: Nigerian military 'kills top militant'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19627658

Fuel on Jos fire
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
Who are Boko Haram?

The spokesman for Islamist militant group Boko Haram has been killed by Nigeria's military, reliable sources have told the BBC.

However, Boko Haram has not confirmed that Abu Qaqa has been killed.

A military spokesman told the BBC that two militant suspects had been arrested, one of whom later died but his identity remains unknown.

Boko Haram has staged numerous attacks across northern and central Nigeria, killing some 1,400 people.

The military has previously claimed to have arrested Abu Qaqa but this was denied by Boko Haram, who said the wrong man had been detained.

The joint military task force said it stopped a car suspected to be carrying some senior Boko Haram commanders in Kano, northern Nigeria.

A source close to the military said one of the people in the car tried to escape and was shot. He later died in the hospital.

The source said some of the people in the car have informed the military that the person shot was Abu Qaqa, the man who signs emails sent to the media on behalf of the group.

Analysts note that Abu Qaqa is an alias, so establishing his identity will not be easy.

 

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Hopefully the death toll will remain low.

Nigeria church bombed in Bauchi, Boko Haram flashpoint
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19691781

Fuel on Jos fire
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
Who are Boko Haram?

A suicide bomber has attacked a church in northern Nigeria , killing at least two people and injuring 48, according to the Red Cross.

Witnesses at the scene in the city of Bauchi said they heard a blast near St John's Church, possibly in a car park.

Bauchi has often been targeted by the Islamist Boko Haram group, which wants to impose Sharia law across Nigeria.

Sunday attacks on churches took place regularly earlier this year but had eased in recent months.

Attacks in central and northern Nigeria blamed on Boko Haram have killed some 1,400 people since 2010.

On 16 September, Nigerian security forces said they killed Boko Haram's spokesman Abu Qaqa in a gun battle in the northern state of Kano.

However, the group has not confirmed his death.

Meanwhile, the military in Yobe state imposed a 24-hour curfew on two cities as soldiers went door-to-door, searching for Boko Haram members.

"Residents of the two cities are to remain indoors until further notice to enable security personnel to fish out Boko Haram terrorists," a military spokesman told the AFP news agency.

 

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Nigeria Boko Haram crackdown kills 35
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19703828

A church was the target of a suicide bomb blamed on the group on Sunday

Nigeria under attack

Fuel on Jos fire
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
Who are Boko Haram?

At least 35 suspected Islamists have been killed in a sweep against the Boko Haram group in north-eastern Nigeria, the army has said.

The army said it detained more than 60 others during operations in Adamawa and Yobe states.

The Islamist group opposes Western influence in Nigeria and has carried out a string of attacks.

On Sunday, an attack on a Catholic church in the north blamed on Boko Haram left two people dead.

A military spokesman told AFP news agency that the operation took place overnight between Sunday and Monday and a curfew had been imposed in Damaturu, capital of Yobe state, ahead of the crackdown.

Soldiers went door-to-door in three of the town's neighbourhoods and exchanged fire with militants throughout the night. Two soldiers were injured in the fighting.

Dozens of guns and explosive devices, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition as well as 32 arrows and two swords were among items found in Boko Haram hideouts.

The town has been one of the worse affected by the activities of the group, which wants to impose Sharia law across Nigeria.

In June, gun battles between suspected members and the security forces paralysed the city, leaving some unable to leave their homes or places of work.

Attacks in central and northern Nigeria blamed on Boko Haram have killed some 1,400 people since 2010.

 

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Heres hoping no church bombings take place tomorrow.

Nigerian officials arrested for Boko Haram attacks

Boko Haram attacks have left more than 1,000 dead since 2009
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19772831

Fuel on Jos fire
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
Who are Boko Haram?

Nigerian authorities have arrested a number of officials, accusing them of carrying out attacks for an Islamist militant group.

The military said they had captured an immigration officer who confessed to being an active member of Boko Haram.

His confession led to the arrest of a number of other officials.

Boko Haram has killed hundreds in northern and central Nigeria since 2009, when it launched a campaign to install an Islamic state.

The group's fighters have bombed government buildings and churches and assassinated Muslim clerics who disagreed with their views.

Their attacks have killed woman and children, Muslims and Christians.

Lt Colonel Sagir Musa said the immigration official was arrested last month while impersonating an army officer.

"He confessed to being an active member of the Boko Haram terrorist sect," said Col Musa.

"He also confessed to having been trained alongside 15 other members of the sect on weapon handling, assassination and special operations in Niger."

Col Musa said his testimony helped the military root out a number of others who had carried out attacks for Boko Haram.

Analysts have in the past said that the fight against Boko Haram was undermined because the Islamist group had managed to infiltrate the military.

Boko Haram shot to prominence in 2009 when hundreds of their members attempted to storm police stations and government buildings in Maiduguri.

The security forces quelled the rebellion and killed dozens of the sect's members, as well as its leader.

Since then, their attacks have been better organised and caused many more civilian deaths.

Nigeria is roughly divided between a largely Muslim north, and the south, where Christianity and traditional religions dominate.

 

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Still unclear as to is responsible for this: Some suspect the Boko Haram militant group, while police sources are linking it to a student union election, which was contested on sectarian lines.

Now I can remember some bitterly contested SU elections but nothing that bad. The most bitter was between 2 varieties of Trotskyist, the winner is now a radio shock jock and the loser is a junior minister.

Nigeria attack: Mubi students' killings investigated
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19807964

Some Federal Polytechnic Mubi students have left the town since Monday's shootings

Nigeria under attack
Fuel on Jos fire
Boko Haram's shadowy leader
'My city of fear'
Who are Boko Haram?

Nigeria's authorities are investigating the killings of at least 26 people in an attack on a college hostel in the north-eastern town of Mubi.

Most victims were students called out by name by the gunmen, police said. A resident said the attackers went from door-to-door, shooting or stabbing.

It is unclear who is responsible.

Some suspect the Boko Haram militant group, while police sources are linking it to a student union election, which was contested on sectarian lines.

BBC Hausa service editor Mansur Liman says the newly elected leader of the student union at the Federal Polytechnic Mubi was among those reported to have been killed.

Rivalry between different groups of students, sometimes influenced by national politics, religion and ethnicity, is not a new phenomenon in Nigeria's higher educational institutions; however, this would be the first time it has reached such a level of violence, he says.

Leadership positions on campuses can be a stepping stone for a future career in national politics, which many in Nigeria see as a licence to get rich quickly, he adds.

A curfew has been in force between 15:00 (14:00 GMT) on Tuesday and 06:00 (05:00 GMT).

The college has been closed and some students have fled the town.

Bodies in lines
Police in Adamawa state said the gunmen had inside knowledge, but stressed that the motive for the attack was not yet clear.

Accounts of the attack vary - one local resident said at least 40 people had been shot dead or stabbed.

A recent attack by Boko Haram militants on mobile phone masts in the area makes it hard to get information from the town.

Reports suggest men in military uniform entered a hall of residence outside the main campus shortly before midnight and gathered the students outside their rooms.

Some were shot dead and others stabbed with knives, and their bodies left in lines outside the buildings.

Some of the dead in Mubi were Muslim while others were Christian. Two security guards and an elderly resident were among the victims, the police said.

Residents are now only free to move around for a few hours each day because of a curfew imposed by the authorities.

Monday night's attack came days after dozens of people with suspected links to the Boko Haram militant group were arrested in the town.

Boko Haram has not yet commented on the attack. It is fighting to establish Islamic law in Nigeria and has killed more than 1,000 people in numerous attacks across northern and central areas this year.

Adamawa state has a mixed Muslim and Christian population and borders Borno state, where Boko Haram came to prominence in 2009, staging an uprising in the capital Maiduguri.

 

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Nigerian forces say kill 30 Islamists, arrest 10
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/nigerian-force ... 25839.html
Reuters – 4 hours ago

KADUNA, Nigeria, Oct 8 - Nigerian forces said on Monday they killed 30 members of Islamist sect Boko Haram, including a senior commander, and arrested 10 others in a weekend raid on the northeastern city of Damaturu.
Boko Haram is waging an insurgency against President Goodluck Jonathan's government with the avowed aim of reviving an ancient Islamic kingdom in majority Muslim northern Nigeria.

Styled on the Afghan Taliban, the sect's purported leader Abubakar Shekau has said he wants to impose Sharia law on the country of 160 million people, around half of whom are Christian and the other half Muslim. His movement has become the number one security threat to Africa's top energy producer.

Lieutenant Eli Lazarus, a spokesman for joint military and police forces in northeastern Yobe state, said in a statement that they had conducted cordon and search operations at a suspected Boko Haram hideout in Damaturu on Sunday and "engaged in a gun battle with the suspected terrorists."

"About thirty suspected Boko Haram terrorists were killed in the battle which lasted several hours ... The notorious one-eyed Bakaka, the field commander of Boko Haram in Damaturu and a close associate of Abubakar Shekau was killed," he said.

Ten others were arrested and "are presently assisting investigators to track other senior members of the terrorist group," he added. Three homemade bombs, six assault rifles and 90 rounds of ammunition and several knives were seized, he said.

There was no immediate comment from Boko Haram.

The sect's fighters have killed more than 1,000 people in bomb or gun attacks since they intensified their struggle in 2010, rights groups say.

A military crackdown on the Islamists in the north appears to have weakened them, leaving them less capable of carrying out large-scale, sophisticated attacks like the one that killed 186 people in Kano in January. But they remain a deadly force.

Gunmen shot dead a Chinese national working for the China Geo-Engineering Corporation, the firm's Nigeria personnel manager Albert Audu told Reuters on Monday.

Cheng Jingli was shot dead on Sunday at a market in Gubio, northeastern Borno state, Audu said, but he added that police did not know if it was Boko Haram or robbers. On Monday, a bomb targeting security forces in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, at the heart of the insurgency, wounded two soldiers, Borno state security spokesman Sagir Musa said.

The crackdown has pushed the sect into new areas away from the northeast, widening its geographical spread. Two explosions in eastern Nigeria's normally quiet Taraba state on Thursday and Friday wounded around two dozen people and killed one.

Boko Haram usually targets the security forces or government offices, although churches and bars are also often hit. The United States has labelled Shekau and two other senior members 'terrorists' and put them on its sanctions list.
(Reporting by Isaac Abrak; Writing by Tim Cocks)

 

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The cult appears to be moving to a policy of sustained urban warfare. But they won't sustain it for long without mass support.

Nigeria's Maiduguri shaken by 'Boko Haram' blasts
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19958107

Lt Col Sagir Musa said four Boko Haram militants were arrested overnight

The loud explosions that have rocked Nigeria's northern city of Maiduguri were orchestrated by the militant group Boko Haram, an army spokesman has said.

Lt Col Sagir Musa told the BBC the multiple attacks targeted locations used by the Joint Military Taskforce (JTF) in the city, the Islamists' base.

He said 24 militants had been killed but denied reports that civilians or soldiers had died.

Witnesses say a primary school and a radio tower were set ablaze.

Last month the group, which wants to impose Sharia across Nigeria, attacked mobile phone masts across the north of the country - accusing mobile phone companies of helping security agencies to monitor its members.

Earlier in October witnesses said soldiers shot dead up to 30 civilians after a bomb attack on an army patrol in Maiduguri - accusations the army denied.

'Lockdown'
Lt Col Musa said the explosions were caused by rocket-propelled grenades and improvised explosive devices.

"This is not the first time that Boko Haram [has] used rocket-propelled grenades," he told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.

"The JTF recovered many assorted arms and ammunition," he said.

City residents say the latest trouble began on Monday afternoon when gunmen robbed a market.


There are also reports that a gunman shot dead a traffic warden in the city close to a military checkpoint.

Explosions were then heard, starting at around 18:00 local time (17:00 GMT) - some residents say there were up to 15 blasts, the last one the loudest which shook the city.

Reports said soldiers sealed off nearly every street in the city centre when the attacks began and continued after dark.

Some residents were unable to get home overnight.

The BBC's Abdullahi Kaura in northern Nigeria says journalists face difficulties confirming casualties when covering such attacks as the authorities always try to downplay the situation.

In the incident earlier this month, soldiers in Maiduguri reportedly opened fire on a busy street after a bomb attack killed an army officer.

Shops and homes were also torched, witnesses said.

The army denied killing civilians although correspondents say it offered contradictory explanations about what had happened.

Attacks in central and northern Nigeria blamed on Boko Haram have killed some 1,400 people since 2010.

 

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BH commander caught in Senators house.

Nigeria army arrests 'Boko Haram commander'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20018670

Violence in Potiskum has reached an unprecedented level in recent days

The Nigerian army says it has arrested a senior commander of Boko Haram, as attacks by suspected members of the Islamist group continue.

Shuaibu Muhammed Bama was detained at the home of a serving senator in the city of Maiduguri, the army said.

The senator - who has not been named - denies the army's claim, which has fuelled suspicions that some politicians are helping the militants.

It comes as several people were killed in a suspected Boko Haram attack.

Gunmen stormed the home of a retired head of customs in the town of Potiskum, taking him away with his son and then shooting them both.

Potiskum has witnessed days of gunfire and bombings and several targeted killings in recent days.

'Discrediting government'
Shuaibu Muhammed Bama was arrested in Maiduguri earlier this week, the army said.


A military spokesman said that he was suspected of organising recent attacks in the region.

The army's claim that Mr Bama was held in a senator's house has once again fuelled the debate on whether politicians are helping the Islamist group, the BBC's Nigeria correspondent Will Ross reports.

Last year, another senator, also from Borno state, was arrested and charged over links to Boko Haram.

The senator denied any wrongdoing and was later released on bail.

However, analysts suggest that some politicians in northern Nigeria are prepared to side with the militants in order to discredit the government of President Goodluck Jonathan, who is from the south of the country, our correspondent adds.

Nigeria is roughly divided between a largely Muslim north, and the south, where Christianity and traditional religions dominate.

Boko Haram is fighting to overthrow the government and impose Sharia law across Nigeria.

Attacks in central and northern Nigeria blamed on the group have killed some 1,400 people since 2010.

 

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Now the army is carrying out atrocities.

Nigerian 'youths executed' in Boko Haram stronghold
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20178356

Dozens of young men have been shot dead in Nigeria by the military in Maiduguri, residents in the north-eastern city have told the BBC.

An imam told the BBC about 11 youths from his street alone were killed, including four of his own sons.

The alleged extrajudicial executions happened as Amnesty International accused the security forces of abuses in its crackdown on Islamist militants.

A military spokesman in Maiduguri said he was not aware of the incident.

But Lt Col Sagir Musa told the BBC investigations would be made.

Maiduguri is the stronghold of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, which is fighting to impose Islamic law across Nigeria.

Hundreds of people in northern and central Nigeria have been killed in attacks blamed on the group over the last two years.

On Friday, retired General Mohammed Shuwa - key to crushing Biafran separatists during the brutal three-civil war in the 1960s - was shot by gunmen in his home in Maiduguri.

No-one has claimed responsibility for his killing, but Boko Haram is known for targeted assassinations of those they suspect oppose their views and work with the authorities.

Amnesty International said in a report on Thursday that the security forces have carried out widespread abuses in their campaign against the militants, killing, torturing and burning the houses of innocent civilians. Allegations denied by the military.

'Bodies in mortuary'
Malam Aji Mustapha, an imam in Maiduguri, said after morning prayers on Thursday soldiers took him and his children to an open field where many people had already been taken.

Continue reading the main story
“
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In my street alone, about 11 youths were shot dead and no-one has given us an explanation about what they did”

Malam Aji Mustapha
Imam in Maiduguri
He told the BBC's Newsday programme that they were told to lie on the ground.

People were called forward for a screening process - the young men were checked against photos on a computer database and some of them were separated.

He said that they were ordered to look away and then he heard gunshots.

"They killed four of my children in front of me. They took their bodies to the mortuary of the general hospital," he said.

When he went to collect the bodies later, he saw the bodies of 48 youths, the imam said.

"In my street alone, about 11 youths were shot dead and no-one has given us an explanation about what they did."

The BBC Hausa Service has spoken to other residents in the city who had similar stories about house-to-house searches across the city - and those rounded up taken to the field for screening.

One man told the BBC he saw a dozen corpses at the general hospital. He identified one of them as a friend with whom he played football.

In response to the Amnesty International accusations, Nigeria's Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme that the government would never condone human rights abuses, but it should be remembered that the army was trying to curb "terrorist" acts.

"I think you need to look at the circumstances. When the UK was battling terrorism... the US, they had Guantanamo Bay.... All countries, when the security of their citizens is at stake, they try to use all the tools at their disposal," she said.

Ms Okonjo-Iweala added that she objected to suggestions that the security forces acted in a "heavy-handed" way.

"Everyday our security forces are putting their lives on the line to fight this issue [of violence by Boko Haram]."

 

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Nigeria Boko Haram commander Ibn Saleh Ibrahim 'killed'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20357575

Boko Haram has staged numerous bombings across northern Nigeria in recent months

Nigeria's military has killed a top commander of militant Islamist group Boko Haram in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri, an army spokesman has said.

Ibn Saleh Ibrahim was killed in an exchange of fire with six of his lieutenants, the spokesman added.

An unknown number of civilians are said to have been killed in the crossfire, says a BBC reporter in Nigeria.

Boko Haram, which has killed hundreds of people since 2009, has not commented on Mr Ibrahim's reported death.

The group's founding leader, Mohammed Yusuf, was killed by security forces in July 2009.

'War hero'
Boko Haram is now said to be led by Abubakar Shekau.

Army spokesman Lt Col Sagir Musa told the BBC that Mr Ibrahim was "very close" to Mr Shekau and had a reputation of being "invincible".

"Yesterday [Thursday], we learned he was in town and we were able to track him in a special operation," he said.

"There was an exchange of fire and in the process he was killed with six of his lieutenants."

There has been no independent confirmation of Mr Ibrahim's role in Boko Haram.

Lt Col Musa said Mr Ibrahim had been responsible for last month's assassination of retired General Mohammed Shuwa following an order from Mr Shekau.

Gen Shuwa was shot dead at his home in Maiduguri - no group has said it carried out the attack.


He is regarded by the Nigerian military as a war hero, and played a key role in crushing Biafran separatists during Nigeria's brutal civil war in the 1960s.

In a statement, Lt Col Musa said the operation in Maiduguri, supported by armoured personnel carriers and helicopters, was on-going.

Weapons and explosive devices have been recovered, he added.

The BBC's Abdullahi Kaura in the northern city of Kaduna says residents in Maiduguri told him that the security forces have sealed off four areas within the city - Ngarnam, Bulabulin, Bayan Quarters and Flatari.

This has made it impossible for people to move in and out of the areas, though some managed to flee on Thursday when fighting broke out, he adds.

Military helicopters were circling the suspected Boko Haram strongholds, but no shooting was heard on Friday, our reporter quotes residents as saying.

Residents also told our reporter that during Thursday's clashes, civilians, including women and children, were killed after being caught in the crossfire.

The number of casualties is not known.

Earlier this month, rights group Amnesty International accused Nigeria's security forces of carrying out widespread abuses in their campaign against Boko Haram, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and torture.

The group is campaigning to impose Islamic law across Nigeria.

It has carried out a wave of bombings and assassinations since 2009.

 

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Nigeria's Boko Haram battle: Army rejects 'killing' video
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20393010

The man pleaded for his life before apparently being shot

Nigeria's military has dismissed as fake a video said to show a soldier shooting dead a captive at close range in the northern city of Maiduguri.

A soldier who said he filmed the killing two weeks ago passed the recording to the Reuters news agency.

Nigeria's security forces have repeatedly been accused of summary executions while fighting the militant Islamist group, Boko Haram.

The BBC has not been able to verify the video's authenticity.

BBC Nigeria correspondent Will Ross says the video shows a man being pushed to the ground by a soldier, kicked in the head and then shot dead.

Next to him are at least four corpses, apparently of people who were also killed by soldiers.

An army spokesman said he had not seen the grainy video.

However, he believed it was staged and it was impossible for Nigerians soldiers to carry out such killings.

Earlier this month, rights group Amnesty International accused Nigeria's security forces of carrying out widespread abuses in their campaign against Boko Haram, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and torture.

Chief of defence staff Admiral Ola Ibrahim described Amnesty's report as highly subjective but said the accusations were being investigated.

"We have rules of engagement. A few of our men who have violated some of these rules are on trial," he told the BBC last week.

"The information technology and present-day capacity to manipulate even pictures and use it to your advantage is part of the kind of warfare that we are acutely aware of."

Boko Haram is campaigning to impose Islamic law across Nigeria.

It has carried out a wave of bombings and assassinations in northern and central Nigeria since 2009.

Maiduguri is one of the group's strongholds.

 

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Nigeria blasts: Eleven dead at Kaduna barracks church
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20486998

Two suicide bombs have hit a church inside a military barracks in Kaduna state in northern Nigeria, killing 11 people and injuring 30, officials say.

A military spokesman told the BBC two vehicles were driven into the barracks in Jaji in what he described as "surprising and an embarrassment".

It is not clear who was responsible for the attack.

But the army suspects Islamist militant group Boko Haram, which has recently targeted churches in the state.

The group is fighting to overthrow the government and impose an extreme form of Sharia, or Islamic law.

The BBC's Will Ross in Lagos says that while Christians and churches are frequently targeted, this incident looks more like a direct attack on the military.

On Friday, Nigeria's military offered a reward of 50m naira ($317,000; £197,709) for help in tracking down suspected Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, and 10m each for other suspected leaders of the group.

'Curious worshippers'
The military said a bus entered the barracks and was driven into the wall of the church where it exploded.

Ten minutes later, a car blew up outside the church.

"The first blast caused no casualties and curious worshippers gathered around the scene looking at the debris... and that was when the second blast happened," the military spokesman said.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing bodies at the scene, and people being carried away on stretchers.

At least 50 people were killed in bombings in Kaduna in June and the reprisals that followed.

And almost a month ago seven people died in a suicide bombing at a Roman Catholic church in the state.

Kaduna is on the dividing line between Nigeria's mainly Christian south and the north, which has a large Muslim majority.

 

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Nigeria gunmen attack Abuja Sars police HQ
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20493739

Two police officers have been killed when a "large number of gunmen" attacked a Nigerian police base in the capital, Abuja, enabling five suspected robbers to escape, police say.

A police statement said the attack was repelled but that 30 detainees escaped, 25 of whom were recaptured.

Suspected robbers and militants from the Boko Haram Islamist group are often held at the police base.

No group has said it carried out the attack

Boko Haram wants to establish Islamic law in Nigeria and has killed hundreds of people this year, mostly in the mainly Muslim north.

The attack on the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (Sars) headquarters in Abuja comes a day after a double suicide bombing killed 11 people in a church inside a military barracks in Kaduna state, north of the capital.

BBC Nigeria correspondent Will Ross says the high-level security breaches are embarrassing for the government.

Many Nigerians are still shocked by Sunday's bombing, wondering how the attackers could have entered the barracks, which houses Nigeria's elite military training centre, without some inside help, he adds.

The Sars base is near several government buildings and security is normally extremely tight in the area.

Heavily guarded
One Abuja resident said he heard gunfire for about half an hour in the early hours of Monday morning.

The suspects escaped during the confusion of the attack, the police statement said.

None of those who fled were held on terror-related charges, while two of the attackers were arrested, it said.

It also stressed that no explosive devices were used during the attack.

An AFP journalist at the Sars headquarters says there are no visible signs of damage to the building, which is heavily guarded with two armoured vehicles outside.

It is where suspects are held when they are first transferred to the capital.

While most Boko Haram attacks are carried out in the north, it has previously targeted Abuja.

Last year, a suicide bomber from the group attacked the main police headquarters in the capital killing six people.

The militants have also previously attacked prisons and freed hundreds of suspected Boko Haram members.

 

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Borno attacks: Nigeria 'militants' kill Christians
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20576217

Suspected Islamist fighters have killed 10 Christians in an overnight machete and gun attack in Borno state in north-east Nigeria.

Later, gunmen attacked government targets and churches near the border with Cameroon, killing five policemen.

It is not yet clear who was behind the attacks.

But the army suspects the Islamist Boko Haram group, which often targets security forces, government officials or Christians it views as infidels.

Late on Saturday night, residents say a group of men went from house to house in a largely Christian area of the remote village of Chibok, before slitting the throats of 10 people.

"Suspected Boko Haram came at night and set people's houses on fire before killing their victims," Nuhu Clark, a former councillor of the village who escaped the attack, told Reuters news agency. He said he counted 10 bodies.

Porous border
On Sunday, residents of Gamboru Ngala near the border with Cameroon said gunmen killed five policemen as they attacked a police station, immigrations and customs offices, as well as at least one church.

A police spokesman said it had been very difficult to obtain information as some of the mobile phone masts had previously been destroyed by Boko Haram.

Boko Haram is not behind all the violence in northern and central Nigeria, says the BBC's Will Ross in Lagos, and armed groups are known to operate near the porous border with Cameroon.

But it is clear that the police and army are unable to protect people against widespread and frequent attacks, adds our correspondent.

Human rights groups say that more than 3,000 people have been killed by Boko Haram since 2010.

The group is fighting to overthrow the government and impose an extreme form of Sharia, or Islamic law.

 

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Nigeria attack: Song police station burnt down
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20897659

Four people have been killed when a police station and local government office were destroyed by gunmen in north-eastern Nigeria, police say.

The attacks came in the town of Song, near the border with Cameroon.

A policeman, a soldier, a civilian and his grandchild were killed, the Adamawa state police spokesman told the BBC.

He did not blame any group but militants from the Boko Haram Islamist group have staged frequent attacks in northern Nigeria.

They have often targeted Adamawa state but this is believed to be the first time Song has been attacked.

Local residents say some of those who died were burnt to death.

Police spokesman Mohammed Ibrahim told BBC Hausa that extra security forces had been sent to the area.

He said there had been no arrests.

Last week, there was a similar attack in Maiha, also in Adamawa state.

Violence linked to the Boko Haram insurgency - a group seeking to impose Islamic law on the country - has claimed some 3,000 lives in recent years, human rights groups say.

 

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Nigeria 'arrests Boko Haram militant'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21011340

The Nigerian military says it has arrested a leader of the Islamist militant group, Boko Haram.

Mohammed Zangina was detained in the Government Reserved Area (GRA) of the north-eastern city of Maiduguri on Sunday afternoon, a statement said.

Mr Zangina, also known as Mallam Abdullahi and Alhaji Musa, was planning "deadly attacks" against civilians and security personnel there, it added.

Boki Haram is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.

The group has admitted being behind a number of attacks against churches and other establishments since 2009. More than 600 people were killed last year year in attacks blamed on it.

The military statement said Mr Zangina was leader of Boko Haram in the "North Central part of Nigeria and co-ordinator of most of the suicide attacks and bombings in Abuja, Kaduna, Kano, Jos and Potiskum".

He was also a key member of the group's Shura Committee, and a 25m naira ($159,000) reward had been offered for his capture, it added.

 

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BH attack a Muslim leader whike Nigeria send troops to Mali.

Nigeria: Gunmen attack Kano emir's convoy
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21103322

The emir is revered in Nigeria - he met President Goodluck Jonathan after bombs in Kano a year ago

Nigeria gunmen have attacked the convoy of the prominent religious leader, the Emir of Kano.

The emir survived, but his driver and two guards were killed.

No-one has admitted the attack, but suspicion is bound to fall on the militant group Boko Haram, which has previously killed Muslim clerics.

The emir is highly revered by Muslims and the attacks have caused shock in northern Nigeria, says the BBC's Lagos correspondent, Will Ross.

Men on motorbikes and in a car opened fire on the emir's convoy as he was returning from a ceremony at a mosque.

"There was an unfortunate incident today. The emir's convoy was attacked by unknown gunmen as he was returning from Koranic graduation ceremony in Kano city, Kano state governor Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso told AFP news agency.

"Three people in his convoy were killed but the Emir is unhurt," he said.

Boko Haram gunmen have killed Muslim clerics before, including those who have spoken out against the group's campaign of violence, says our correspondent.

Emir al-Haji Ado Bayero - who is in his 80s - has been on the throne for almost 50 years and has been careful not to openly denounce the activities of the Islamist militants, he says.

Over the past two years, violence in northern Nigeria has escalated.

Boko Haram is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.

The group has admitted being behind a number of attacks against churches and other establishments since 2009.

More than 600 people were killed last year in attacks blamed on it.

Human rights groups say that more than 3,000 people have been killed by Boko Haram since 2010.

Analysis

Will Ross
BBC News, Lagos

While Boko Haram has carried out many attacks, it is also clear that some of the attacks have been carried out by bandits with no link to the Islamist sect.

Analysts suggest the violence is political rather than religious at times.

In trying to crush the Islamist insurgency the army has often been accused of being extremely heavy-handed.

Nigeria has now started sending troops to Mali where they are to join a French led force fighting the largely Islamist forces in control of the north of the country.

 

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Nigeria Islamists suspected of deadly attack in Damboa
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21152122

Suspected Islamists have killed at least 12 people in the town of Damboa in Nigeria's north-eastern Borno state, residents and local officials say.

The attack occurred late on Monday. Eyewitnesses say the gunmen apparently targeted hunters selling bush meat.

Strict Muslims are forbidden to eat bush meat from animals such as monkeys and pigs.

The militant group Boko Haram, which is fighting to create an Islamic state, has staged many attacks in Borno state.

More than 600 people were killed last year in attacks blamed on the group across the country, Boko Haram was founded in the capital of Borno state, Maiduguri, in 2002.

 

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Update. Maybe there will be a backlash against BH similar to wghat occurred in Mali.

Boko Haram militants suspected of deadly attacks in Nigeria
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21152122

Suspected Islamists have been blamed for the deaths of at least 23 people in separate attacks in north-eastern Nigeria.

Witnesses say gunmen apparently targeted hunters selling bush meat in Damboa on Monday, killing 18 people.

Another five people died on Tuesday when a group of men playing draughts was attacked in Kano.

The militant group Boko Haram, which is fighting to create an Islamic state, has staged many attacks in Nigeria.

Boko Haram has been blamed for the deaths of some 1,400 people in central and northern Nigeria since 2010. Last year alone, the group was linked to more than 600 deaths.

On Monday, gunmen opened fire at a market in Damboa in Borno state, targeting hunters selling meat from animals such as monkeys and pigs, local government official Abba Ahmed told journalists.

Strict Muslims are forbidden to eat this type of bush meat.

"Gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram came to the town market and shot dead 13 local hunters on the spot while five others died from their injuries at the hospital," the official said.

Damboa is located near the capital of Borno state, Maiduguri, the stronghold of Boko Haram. The militant group was founded in the city in 2002.

Meanwhile, reports have emerged of a deadly attack in Kano, the main city in northern Nigeria, 500km (310 miles) west of Damboa.

Gunmen riding on motorbikes opened fire on people playing an outdoor board game, police and witnesses say.

Gambling is also strictly forbidden under Islamic law.

 

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Nigerian militants suspected of Maiduguri beheadings
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21162787

Suspected militant Islamists have beheaded five people in Nigeria's north-eastern city of Maiduguri, a resident has told the BBC.

The men were attacked during raids on three homes overnight, he said in an account confirmed by a local reporter.

However, the military told the BBC only three people had been killed.

At least 23 others have been killed in separate attacks in the north this week blamed on militants wanting to impose Islamic law on Nigeria.

The insurgency was launched by Boko Haram in Maiduguri in 2009, but a second militant group, Ansaru, emerged last year.

Last month, suspected militants slit the throats of at least 15 Christians near Maiduguri.

In the latest attack, the assailants first beheaded a father and son at their home, before beheading two other men at their residence and a fifth person at another house in Maiduguri, said a resident, who spoke to the BBC Hausa service on condition of anonymity.

It is unclear who carried out the attacks or what their motives were, but there are strong suspicions that Boko Haram was involved, the resident said.

Hunters killed
Continue reading the main story
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Two gunmen lost their lives and a soldier was wounded during an exchange of fire”

Lt-Col Sagir Musa
Army spokesman
A Maiduguri-based journalist confirmed the resident's account to the BBC.

But army spokesman Lt-Col Sagir Musa said suspected gunmen killed three people during the attack.

The joint task force - made up of soldiers and policemen - rushed to the scene when it was alerted, he said.

"It cordoned off the area, arrested three suspects and recovered one assault rifle with ten rounds of ammunition," Lt-Col Musa said.

"Two gunmen lost their lives and a soldier was wounded during an exchange of fire."

On Monday, gunmen apparently targeted hunters selling bush meat in Damboa in north-east Nigeria, killing 18 people, witnesses said.

Another five people died on Tuesday when a group of men playing draughts was attacked in Kano.

No group has said it is responsible for the attacks.

Strict Muslims believe it is forbidden to eat animals such as monkeys or to play games that could influence people to take up gambling.

These attacks followed an attempt on the life of the second most important Muslim leader in Nigeria, the Emir of Kano, whose convoy came under fire on Sunday. He survived but several of his guards were killed

Boko Haram has been blamed for the deaths of some 1,400 people in central and northern Nigeria since 2010.

Last year alone, the group was linked to more than 600 deaths.

Ansaru announced its existence last June.

In December, it said it had kidnapped French national Francis Colump in the northern Katsina state.

 

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Boko Haram crisis: Nigeria raids 'kill 17 militants'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21299327

Nigeria's military said it has killed 17 insurgents in an attack on two training camps belonging to the Boko Haram Islamist group.

One soldier was also killed in the firefight that broke out after they moved in on the camps, backed by helicopter gunships, the military said.

Spokesman Lt Col Sagir Musa said the "fortified" camps were in a forest and a game reserve in Borno State.

Boko Haram is seeking to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria.

The group has been blamed for the deaths of some 1,400 people in central and northern Nigeria since 2010.

The military "conducted two special operations supported by Nigerian Airforce helicopter gunship to dislodge Boko Haram training camps" in the Ruwa forest and the Sambisa Game Reserve, Lt Col Musa said in a statement.

"The camp was properly... fortified and had training facilities, an armoury, accommodation, a drug store, kitchen, vehicle holding area, latrine and water points," he said.

Boko Haram has not yet commented on the incident.

The group was formed in Maiduguri, capital of the north-eastern Borno State, in 2002.