Boko Haram Islamist Cult

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Looks as if Boko Haram is targetting health workers now.

Foreign doctors killed in north-eastern Nigeria
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21400330

Three North Korean doctors have been killed in the north-eastern Nigerian state of Yobe, officials say.

Residents said they were killed during the night in the town of Potiskum. Two of them had their throats slit while the third was beheaded, they added.

Officials said the victims had been working at a government-run hospital.

No-one has said they were behind the attack, but it happened in an area where the Islamist militant group, Boko Haram, has been active in recent years.

More than 600 people were believed to have been killed in 2012 by the group, which is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state in Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north.

'No guards'
Yobe state police commissioner Sanusi Rufai said it was nevertheless too early to know who was behind the attack, which happened either late on Saturday or before dawn on Sunday. Police have begun an investigation.

The victims were reportedly found inside their flat on Sunday morning, after people became worried that they were not answering the door.

An official at the General Hospital in Potiskum told the Associated Press that the victims had worked there.

He added that their block of flats had no security guards, and that they had routinely travelled through the town in taxis without a police escort.

Officials had earlier said the doctors were from South Korea, rather than North Korea. Residents meanwhile told AFP that they were Chinese nationals who had been employed by the state ministry of health for about a year. Mr Rufai also said they were from China.

On Friday, nine polio vaccination workers - all said to have been women - were shot dead in northern Nigeria. Some were killed in Kano, others at a health centre in Hotoro, outside the city.

President Goodluck Jonathan condemned the killings, for which no group has claimed responsibility, and vowed that the campaign to eradicate polio would be carried through to a successful conclusion.

 

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Difficult to see what the French can do, Special Forces raid? Going badly wrong lately.

French children kidnapped in Cameroon 'shown in video'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21577874

French authorities are trying to verify the authenticity of the video

A video published on YouTube appears to show seven members of a French family, including four children, abducted by Islamists in Cameroon.

The video shows an armed man reading a statement in front of two men, a woman and four children.

Claiming to be from the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram, the alleged kidnappers demand the release of prisoners in Cameroon and Nigeria.

The family were snatched last Tuesday by gunmen on motorbikes.

Continue reading the main story
Analysis
Mohammed Abdul Qader
BBC Arabic
The video was fronted by an Arabic-speaking man whose accent is similar to that of the Gulf.

He is clearly not a native Arabic speaker and his style of reading and the way the script was written suggests the writer received some kind of Arabic religious education. In Nigeria, many religious schools use classical Arabic as the language of tuition.

Although the message was directed at the French and Nigerian presidents, it was delivered in Arabic, and contained many references to jihad and religious discourse, with such words as infidels, brothers, sisters and slaughter.

However, when the man pronounced the name of the Nigerian president he spoke with a Nigerian English accent. Most likely, he is a Nigerian educated at a Nigerian Islamic school.

The banner used as the backdrop features guns and an Islamic slogan which reads "There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the Prophet of God". Such backdrops have been used by many other jihadist groups, however in this case it looked like a hasty job and featured an Arabic font usually found in North Africa.

Following the abduction, the French government said it believed the couple, their children aged five, eight, 10 and 12, and an uncle were taken across the border into Nigeria, probably by Boko Haram.

The family live in the Cameroonian capital, Yaounde, where the father worked for the French gas group Suez. They had been returning from a visit to Waza National Park when they were kidnapped.

'Terribly shocking'
On Thursday, France confirmed it had "received information that the group Boko Haram is claiming to be holding the French family".

"These images are terribly shocking and display cruelty without limits," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in a statement.

In the video, one of the male hostages said they had been kidnapped by Jamaatu Ahlis Sunna Liddaawati wal-Jihad - the Arabic name for Boko Haram.

One of the alleged kidnappers warned that France had launched a war on Islam.

Behind him, the alleged family is shown flanked by two armed men in camouflage uniforms.

A source close to the family confirmed their identities to the AFP news agency.

France's foreign ministry said it was still trying to verify the authenticity of the video.

Last week, a French minister wrongly confirmed reports that the family had been found and released in Nigeria.


The family were seized from this vehicle as they toured northern Cameroon
Meanwhile, French nationals have been urged to leave northern Cameroon "as quickly as possible".

The French foreign ministry said on its website citizens were "officially advised not to go to the far north of Cameroon (the shores of Lake Chad in the South Maroua), and the border with Nigeria, until further notice".

Boko Haram has staged many attacks across northern Nigeria in recent years, targeting churches, government buildings and the security forces.

Another Islamist group - Ansaru - is also active in the region.

Last Sunday, Ansaru claimed the abduction of seven foreign workers in Nigeria.

Italian, British, Greek and Lebanese workers are thought to be among those held after an attack on a construction project in Bauchi state.

Ansaru also says it is holding a French national, Francis Colump, who was seized in the northern state of Katsina.

 

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While Christians were targetted here, moderate Muslim preachers and their Mosques have also been attacked.

Kano blast: Nigeria bus station bomb toll rises

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21845402
The bus station was primarily used by passengers heading to the mostly Christian south of Nigeria
'
The number of people killed in a suicide car bomb attack at a bus stop in the Nigerian city of Kano on Monday has risen to at least 22, police say.

Several buses were destroyed in the attack in the Sabon Gari district - which is home to many Christians from southern Nigeria.

No group has admitted responsibility, but Islamist Boko Haram militants have previously attacked Kano.

It is the largest city in the mainly Muslim north of Nigeria.

Several witnesses told Reuters that one of the buses targeted was full when the explosion happened, and was completely destroyed. At least 65 people were injured.

Police say two suicide bombers drove their explosive-laden car into the station in a Christian enclave in the predominantly Muslim commercial centre.

The BBC's Yusuf Ibrahim Yakasai in Kano says that security in the city has been substantially tightened following the blast, with the area of the explosion almost completely sealed off.


In January 2012, about 150 people died in Kano in a series of co-ordinated attacks by Boko Haram.

The group is fighting to overthrow the Nigeria government and create an Islamic state.

It is also believed to have a presence in Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

Our correspondent says that the targeted bus station is primarily used by passengers heading to the mostly Christian south of Nigeria.

President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned the violence. A statement from his office said that this "barbaric incident will not deter the federal government from its strong-willed determination to overcome those who do not mean well for this nation".

Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation and largest oil producer. It is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south.

More on This Story

 

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Spreading terror through out the town, hitting a bank, bar, policce station and a prison. Not clear if the politician killed was just in the wrong place. Boko Haram do not have popular support, how do they carry out these attacks over such a wide area?

Maybe this should be in the Conspiracy Forum.

Nigerian town of Ganye hit by deadly attacks
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21914274

At least 25 people died when gunmen attacked a prison, a police station, a bank and a bar in an eastern Nigerian town, police said.

The simultaneous attacks took place in Ganye, a remote town near Nigeria's border with Cameroon.

The attacks happened on Friday but the death toll was only reported on Saturday.

No group has said it carried out the attack but police said they suspected Islamist militants Boko Haram.

"We have 25 dead from yesterday's attacks in Ganye which included a chief prison warder, a policeman and a prominent politician," Adamawa state police chief Mohammed Ibrahim was quoted by AFP news agency as saying.

The gunmen - armed with bombs, machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades - set free an unspecified number of inmates from the prison, officials said.

Mr Ibrahim said seven people were shot dead in the bar and six near the bank, while others were gunned down either outside their homes or on the streets.

It was not clear how much money had been looted from the bank.

In a separate incident, two suspected suicide bombers died in the northern city of Kano on Saturday when their explosives went off prematurely, police said.

Three policemen were injured in the blast, Kano state police chief Musa Daura said.

Kano was the scene of a suicide car bomb attack at a bus stop last Tuesday that killed more than 20 people.

Boko Haram says its members are fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north.

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

It is believed to also have a presence in Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

 

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Nigeria's Boko Haram rejects Jonathan's amnesty idea

Abubakar Shekau uses the internet to send out his messages
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22105476

The Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram has rejected the idea of an amnesty.

Last week President Goodluck Jonathan asked a high level team to look into the possibility of granting the militants a pardon.

The announcement was made via an audio statement believed to be from the group's leader Abubakar Shekau.

In recent years Boko Haram has carried out a campaign of violence across northern and parts of central Nigeria killing at least 2,000 people.

Mr Shekau said his group had done no wrong and so an amnesty would not be applicable to them.

It was the Nigerian government that was committing atrocities against Muslims, he said.

"Surprisingly, the Nigerian government is talking about granting us amnesty. What wrong have we done? On the contrary, it is we that should grant you [a] pardon," AFP news agency quotes him as saying in the Hausa language audio recording.

BBC Nigeria correspondent Will Ross says that northern religious and political leaders have been urging President Jonathan to grant an amnesty to the militants as they say the army's response to the insurgency is not bringing peace.

The amnesty panel was set up by the president last week and includes senior military representatives, presidential sources said.

The move surprised many as President Jonathan had dismissed the idea of amnesty and dialogue, our reporter says.

In 2009, then-Nigerian President Musa Yar Adua granted an amnesty to thousands of militants wreaking havoc in the oil-rich Niger Delta in the south.

The violence fell dramatically but there are worrying warnings of further unrest in the Delta, analysts say.

 

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Difficult to see how this will work. Boko Haram do not have limited demands; they even kill moderate Muslims who disagree with them.

Nigeria Boko Haram amnesty bid gets president's backing
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22190009

The Boko Haram insurgency has brought numerous bomb attacks

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has set up a new committee to look at how an amnesty for the Islamist group, Boko Haram, can be implemented.

The committee will consider a 60-day timeframe for dialogue and disarmament, according to a statement from the president's office.

It will also look into support for victims of the violence.

The Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria has left thousands of people dead since it began in 2009.

Continue reading the main story
Committee on Boko Haram
To develop a framework for granting amnesty
Set up a 60-day framework for disarmament
Develop a victims' support programme
Investigate the underlying causes of insurgencies
Who are Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamists?
The presidential committee, whose 25 members include military figures, academics and politicians, will try to address the underlying causes of insurgencies to prevent them recurring, says the statement.

In addition, President Jonathan has approved the establishment of another government committee on the proliferation of small arms in an attempt to increase security and reduce instability.

Both committees will be inaugurated on 24 April.

'Significant move'
Religious and political leaders in northern-eastern Nigeria, the epicentre of the insurgency, recently called for an amnesty.


On the president's recent tour of the north-east, religious and political leaders called for an amnesty
The president responded at the beginning of April by asking a team of security advisers to look into the possibility of granting the militants a pardon.

That team reported to the National Security Council, the presidential statement said, leading to the establishment of the committee which will try to "constructively engage key members of Boko Haram and define a comprehensive and workable framework for resolving the crisis of insecurity in the country".

The editor of the BBC's Hausa service, Mansur Liman, says the amnesty move is significant - initially President Jonathan had dismissed the idea.

It is a sign of acknowledgement from the president that the military crackdown is not working, he says.

However, it is unclear how seriously the president's move will be taken by the insurgents, who are thought to comprise many different factions.

Last week, Boko Haram, which wants to carve out an Islamic state across a swathe of Nigeria, rejected the idea of an amnesty.

An audio statement believed to be from the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau, said the group had done no wrong so an amnesty could not apply to its members.

He accused the government of committing atrocities against Muslims.

Boko Haram's campaign of violence and the accompanying military response across northern and parts of central Nigeria is estimated to have killed at least 2,000 people.

 

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Baga clashes: Nigeria army seizes heavy weapons
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22270648

Civilians were the main casualties in the fighting in Baga

Nigeria's army has said it seized rocket-propelled grenades during last week's fighting in Baga - believed to have been one of the first times Boko Haram has used heavy weapons.

It says 37 people were killed, while others maintain at least 185 died.

The army says 30 members of the Boko Haram Islamist group, one soldier and six civilians died.

The Red Cross has backed local officials who say the figure is higher but they have not been into the town.

An army statement said three rocket-propelled grenade launchers had been recovered, along with bomb-making material.

The previous most deadly incident of the three-year Boko Haram uprising came last year when at least 160 people were killed in co-ordinated bomb attacks in the northern city of Kano.

The group is fighting to install Islamic law in the predominantly Muslim north of Nigeria.

Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote

There are so many versions of what happened. Everyone tells his own version. So, no-one is sure which version to believe”

Isa Lawan
Baga MP
'Military siege'
Baga is close to the border with both Chad and Niger and a multinational force from the three countries was attacked, its commander Brig Gen Austin Edokpaye said.

The Red Cross is still trying to gain access to the town to help those affected by the violence, national co-ordinator Umar Mariaga told the AFP news agency.

Local MP Isa Lawan told the BBC Hausa service that "what happened is Baga is sad and beyond description".

"We have already started despatching relief materials, including building materials and food stuff. We want to make sure that people get the necessary assistance to start rebuilding their homes."

He said there were "many versions of what happened. Everyone tells his own version. So no-one is sure which version to believe.

"Many people died. But the figure of casualties given by the people of Baga is 185."

A resident who did not want to be named told AFP:

"Baga is still under military siege... The town is at a standstill, with little food and water, which has forced even those of us that stayed behind to start leaving."

One unnamed rescue official said that 40% of the town had been destroyed by fire following the clashes.

But Brig Gen Edokpaye disputed this, saying Boko Haram's weapons had exploded, causing "fire to about 30 thatched houses in the predominantly fishing community".


He said that five militants had been arrested.

Many of the town's residents fled during the clashes and say they returned to find their homes burnt to the ground.

Bodies were still being found and buried on Monday, two of the town's inhabitants told BBC Hausa.

One eyewitness told the BBC that the fighting started when gunmen entered a video-viewing centre, looking for a man, who then fled.

The militants opened fire, attracting the attention of nearby soldiers, who were initially overpowered, before returning with reinforcements, leading to a fierce gunbattle, he said.

Correspondents note that the Nigerian military often plays down the number of people killed in clashes with militants.

Communications with parts of northern Nigeria are difficult since mobile phone masts were destroyed by militants.

 

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Nigeria's Boko Haram 'got $3m ransom' to free hostages
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22320077

The French family was kidnapped in February and freed last week

Islamist militant group Boko Haram was paid more than $3m (£2m) before releasing a French family of seven, a Nigerian government report says.

The confidential report, seen by Reuters news agency, does not say who paid the money.

Both France and Cameroon deny paying a ransom while Nigeria has not commented on the issue.

The French family, including four children, were captured in Cameroon in February and freed last week.

The were handed over to the Cameroon authorities last Thursday.

The Nigerian report also says that Cameroon freed some Boko Haram detainees as part of the deal, according to Reuters.


If confirmed, transfer of such a significant amount of money given to Boko Haram could serve to strengthen the firepower of the group, the BBC's Will Ross in Lagos reports.

Over the past week, violence in northern Nigeria has escalated as suspected members of Boko Haram have targeted the army and police. Reports say more than 200 civilians have died in the violence.

While the army is unable to prevent such attacks, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has appointed a committed to prepare the ground for offering an amnesty to the militants, our correspondent says.

Prisoner demand
The French family, who live in Yaounde, where Tanguy Moulin-Fournier worked for the French gas group Suez, had been returning from a holiday in the Waza National Park in northern Cameroon when they were kidnapped by gunmen on motorbikes on 19 February.

Mr Moulin-Fournier, his wife Albane and four children, aged between five and 12, had been joined on their holiday by his brother Cyril.

In a YouTube video released about a week after their capture, the militants demanded the release of prisoners in Cameroon and Nigeria.

One of them also criticised French President Francois Hollande for sending troops to fight Islamist militants in northern Mali in January.

The French-led operation in Mali has ousted the Islamist groups, including al-Qaeda's North African branch, from cities and towns in the vast desert region they had captured a year ago in the wake of a coup.

Boko Haram, which began its insurgency following a deadly crackdown on its members in 2009, had previously said it was not involved in hostage taking.

It has usually followed a Nigerian agenda, and says it wants to establish an Islamic state.

During its insurgency at least 2,000 people have been kill in northern and parts of central Nigeria.

 

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Now the Nigerian Army have carried out atrocities, sacking a civilian area. This will just provide more recruits for BH.

Baga raid: Satellite images 'show Nigeria army abuse'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22366016

Before, 6 April 2013
After, 26 April 2013


Satellite images reveal that 2,275 homes were destroyed during a military raid to hunt down militant Islamists in the northern Nigerian town of Baga last month, a rights group has said.

Human Rights Watch said soldiers "engaged more in destruction than in protection" after Boko Haram fighters attacked a military patrol.

The army has not commented on the latest allegations.

It has said 37 people were killed; others say more than 180 died.


Correspondents say soldiers have often been accused of using excessive force in its efforts to put down the insurgency.

Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan regarded the conflict in Baga as "most regrettable and unfortunate", his office said, in a statement on Tuesday.

"He reaffirmed his full commitment to doing all within the powers of the federal government to speedily end the intolerable threats to national security which have necessitated such confrontations," it said.

'Duty of protection'
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the Nigerian authorities to impartially investigate and prosecute soldiers responsible for recent violence in Baga.

It said satellite images it had analysed undermined the military's assertion that only 30 houses were destroyed during the fighting in Baga, a remote fishing community on the shores of Lake Chad, on 16 and 17 April.

Baga residents told HRW that soldiers ransacked the town after Boko Haram killed a soldier during an attack on a military patrol.

Maina Ma'aji Lawan, a senator for the area, told the BBC Hausa service that more than 4,000 houses had been burnt and more than 200 people had died.

Community leaders told HRW that 2,000 burned homes had been counted and 183 bodies identified after the military raid ended.

Satellite images corroborated this account and had identified 2,275 destroyed buildings with another 125 severely damaged, the US-based rights group said.


"The Nigerian military has a duty to protect itself and the population from Boko Haram attacks, but the evidence indicates that it engaged more in destruction than in protection," Daniel Bekele, Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

The BBC's Nigeria correspondent Will Ross says the area is a stronghold of Boko Haram and one eyewitness said prior to the violence that soldiers had accused residents of sheltering the militants.

"I lost everything in my house after soldiers came and set my house ablaze," Baga resident Ibrahim Modu told the Associated Press news agency.

"They met me outside, walked into my house and put it on fire, after which they told me to leave so that I don't get burnt by the fire."


Community leaders dispute the army's version of events
A 27-year-old woman, who stayed in her house after the gunfire erupted, described to HRW how soldiers went door-to-door looking for any men that remained in her neighbourhood.

"I saw the soldiers drag a man out of another house. They started beating him with their guns. They were beating him severely and he was crying," she is quoted by HRW as saying.

"The man then ran, and I saw the soldiers shoot him. I heard the gunshots and saw him fall. On the other side of the road the soldiers were beating other people."

Another resident said soldiers threw explosives into houses.

"They would throw [the explosive] and then fire would come out of it. I saw them do this to about 10 houses," he is quoted as saying.

'Misinformation'
Mr Jonathan's office said Nigeria's Human Rights Commission (HRC) would carry out an independent investigation, and any "misconduct" on the part of the military would be dealt with.

Continue reading the main story
“
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It is on record that the terrorists employ the tactics of arson wherever they attack”

Presidential statement
A preliminary investigation by the military high command and the National Emergency Management Authority (Nema) showed that a lot of misinformation was being "peddled" about the situation in Bega, his office said.

Reports that more than 180 people died could not be substantiated, and Nema officials could identify only 32 fresh graves during their visit to the area, the president's office added.

They also reported that that while some houses and businesses were burnt it was "certainly not up to the number quoted", it said.

"It is pertinent to note that the houses in question are mostly thatched roof houses that could easily catch fire. It is on record that the terrorists employ the tactics of arson wherever they attack," Mr Jonathan's office said.

In the week after the conflict in Baga, the military said 30 militants, one soldier and six civilians died.

Rocket-propelled grenades and bomb-making material had been recovered in the raid, it added.

 

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The Army massacre of civilians has not affected BHs capabilities.

Nigeria: 'Many dead in Boko Haram raid' in Borno state
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22444417

The region in which this attack took place is a Boko Haram stronghold

Fifty-five people have been killed in the north-east of Nigeria in co-ordinated attacks by the Boko Haram militant group, the Nigerian army says.

It said 105 prisoners were freed in the pre-dawn raid in Bama, Borno state.

Bama's police station, military barracks and government buildings were burned to the ground, said the military and witnesses.

Correspondents say extremist attacks are common in the region but the scale of bloodshed makes this raid stand out.

This strike - coming on the back of other deadly attacks - undermines the suggestion that the military operation against the militants has diminished the threat they pose, says the BBC's Will Ross in Lagos.

President Goodluck Jonathan has set up a committee to agree the terms of an amnesty for the rebels but Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau, has so far rejected the idea.

Tuesday's raid in the remote town began when some 200 heavily-armed suspected members of Boko Haram arrived in buses and pick-up trucks at about 05:00 (04:00 GMT), said Musa Sagir, a military spokesman based in Maiduguri, some 70km (44 miles) from Bama.


"Some of the gunmen attacked the military barracks but they were repelled. Ten of them were killed and two were arrested," he told AFP news agency.

"But the gunmen broke into the prison, freeing 105 inmates, and killed all prison warders they could see except those who hid in a store where cooking utensils were kept," he said.

Some of the attackers wore army uniforms for the assault, which continued for almost five hours, he added.

Children

Twenty-two police officers, 14 prison wardens, two soldiers and four civilians are said to have died along with 13 members of Boko Haram.

Bama police commander Abubakar Sagir was quoted as saying the civilians comprised a woman and three children.

Police and public buildings - reportedly including a magistrate's court - were razed to the ground.

"The call to prayer was just being said at about 05:00 when the Boko Haram started shooting from all directions and we ran for our lives," a witness, Amina Usman, told Reuters.

"One woman who could not run burned to death," Ms Usman added.

Boko Haram, as it is popularly known, has its roots in this region of Nigeria. It is fighting to overthrow the government and set up an Islamic state.

Late last month the military launched a raid to hunt down militants in Baga, also in Borno state, after Boko Haram militants attacked a military patrol.

Nearly 200 people died in the raid, and thousands of buildings were destroyed, leading to claims by rights groups that the military had used excessive force. The army put the number killed at 37.

Analysis

Will Ross
BBC News, Lagos

In late 2012 you could have argued that the military operation against the Islamist militants had diminished the threat. But not any more.

Coming on the back of other deadly attacks, this is probably the most significant strike against the state apparatus since the Kano bombings in January 2012. The army says it was the work of Boko Haram. If that is true, by targeting the police, army and a prison with such devastating effect, the group appears to be sending out the defiant message that it cannot be defeated by the state security forces. There are reports that the militants have acquired more powerful weapons.

The suggestion that some politicians are fuelling the conflict or even backing the Islamist extremists is not fading.

The current military offensive is not working. So what is the way forward? President Goodluck Jonathan appears to have put his faith in God and the unlikely prospect of all the Islamist militants accepting an amnesty. His predecessors have faced daunting security challenges but this one is on a different scale.

 

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Nigeria's Boko Haram releases hostage video
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22510765

The video did not identify the people Boko Haram says it has abducted (right)

Islamist group Boko Haram has abducted women and children in response to the arrest of its members' wives and children, it says.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau released a video, showing women and children purportedly being held.

If confirmed, these would be the first Nigerians taken hostage by Boko Haram.

In the video, Mr Shekau also said the group was behind two recent attacks in the north-east, which left an estimated 240 people dead.

The group has rejected an amnesty offered by the government to end the insurgency that has killed at least some 2,000 people in the past three years.

'Infants detained'
Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote

In a single house in Damaturu, eight of our women and 14 children were arrested”

Abubaker Shekau
Boko Haram leader
Boko Haram has repeatedly accused the security forces of illegally detaining the relatives of its members, saying their release was a pre-condition for any truce.

In the video, Mr Shekau did not name the women and children whom he said the group had seized, or say how many they were.

"We kidnapped some women and children, including teenage girls," he said.

This was in response to the securing forces arresting women, children and infants related to Boko Haram members in Kano, Bauchi and Damaturu, Mr Shekau said.

"In a single house in Damaturu, eight of our women and 14 children were arrested," he said.

Mr Shekau added that "no-one in this country will enjoy his women and children" if the relatives of Boko Haram members were not released.

Nigeria's government has not yet commented.

Mr Shekau confirmed the group had carried out a series of attacks in recent weeks - including a raid on 7 May by about 200 heavily-armed men on Bama village, in Borno state near Nigeria's north-eastern border with Cameroon.

"We are the ones that carried out the Bama attack," he said.

Five-five people were killed and 105 prisoners freed in the raids on a police station, military barracks and government buildings.

Mr Shekau said Boko Haram had also carried out a "small operation" on the northern town of Baga on 16 April.

Claims that Boko Haram members were killed in a shoot-out with security forces were "lies", he said.

"None of our people were killed in Baga," Mr Shekau added.

The army says it had killed 30 Boko Haram members in Baga, while one soldier and six civilians also died.

Rights groups accused the security of retaliating with excessive force, killing nearly 200 people and setting fire to many buildings in the town - an allegation the authorities have denied.

In April, Boko Haram released a French family of seven that were abducted in Cameroon in the first cross-border attack carried out by the group.

A confidential Nigerian government report, seen by Reuters news agency, said Boko Haram was paid more than $3m (£2m) to free the hostages.

Both France and Cameroon denied paying a ransom.

Boko Haram is fighting to create an Islamic state across northern Nigeria, where most people are Muslims.

 

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Good luck to him but I fear the military will abuse their extra powers and create more recruits for the Islamist militants,

Nigeria: Goodluck Jonathan declares emergency in states
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22533974

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has declared a state of emergency in three states after a spate of deadly attacks by Islamist militant groups.

He said the military was authorised to take "all necessary action" to "put an end to the impunity of insurgents and terrorists" in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.

Mr Jonathan also ordered more troops to be sent to the north-eastern states.

Islamist group Boko Haram has been blamed for most of the violence, killing some 2,000 people since 2010.

Nigeria - a multiethnic nation of more than 160 million people - is also affected by a spate of conflicts over land, religion and oil.

In the latest violence, 53 people were killed and 13 villages burnt in central Nigeria's Benue state on Tuesday.

The conflict, which started last week, is said to have been caused by a long-running dispute over land ownership between cattle herders and farmers.


'We will hunt them down'

In a pre-recorded address broadcast on Tuesday, President Jonathan said: "What we are facing is not just militancy or criminality, but a rebellion and insurgency by terrorist groups which pose a very serious threat to national unity and territorial integrity."

Referring to recent attacks by "insurgents and terrorists" on government buildings and killings of officials and other civilians, he said that "these actions amount to a declaration of war".

"We will hunt them down, we will fish them out, and we will bring them to justice," the president said.

At the same time, he stressed that - despite the state of emergency - politicians in the three states would remain in their posts.

The president also admitted that the government was not in control of the whole country, the BBC's Will Ross in Lagos reports.

"Already, some northern parts of Borno state have been taken over by groups whose allegiance are to different flags than Nigeria's," Mr Jonathan said.

This is not the first time he has declared a state of emergency, our correspondent adds, but this is a clear admission that far from being weakened by the army offensive, the threat of the Islamist militants is growing.

Last week, Mr Jonathan had to cut short a trip to South Africa to deal with the growing violence.

Analysis

Will Ross
BBC News, Lagos

President Goodluck Jonathan has declared a state of emergency across an already heavily militarised area of northern Nigeria.

This is not the first time he has taken such action following an upsurge in attacks by Islamist militants. The question is whether more troops on the ground will make any difference. Many analysts say the military has been losing the battle for hearts and minds and abuse allegations have helped boost Boko Haram.

Attacks have largely been hit-and-run or even suicide missions, but by saying areas have been "taken over by groups whose allegiance was to different flags and ideologies", the president has made the somewhat embarrassing admission that the state no longer controls the entire territory of Nigeria.

Mr Jonathan also urged politicians in the affected states to co-operate with the armed forces and the police. This raises the question as to what they have been doing. After all, some northern politicians have been accused of backing Boko Haram.

 

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John Kerry urges Nigeria army 'restraint'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22580707

The Nigerian military has been accused of human rights violations

US Secretary of State John Kerry has urged the Nigerian army to show restraint and not violate human rights as it pursues an offensive against Islamist militants in the north-east.

Mr Kerry said there were "credible allegations" of "gross human rights violations" by the Nigerian military.

This week Nigeria launched its biggest offensive since the Boko Haram group began its insurgency in 2010.

A state of emergency is in force in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states.

"The United States condemns Boko Haram's campaign of terror in the strongest terms," Mr Kerry said in a statement.


"We urge Nigeria's security forces to apply disciplined use of force in all operations, protect civilians in any security response and respect human rights and the rule of law.''

Camps targeted

More than 2,000 people have died in the violence since 2010, most of which is blamed on Boko Haram.

On Friday Nigerian war planes and helicopter gunships attacked several militant training camps in the north-east, officials said.

One plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire, but Brig Gen Chris Olukolade said it had returned to base safely, while the "terrorist base" was subsequently "completely destroyed".

This is the first time Boko Haram has been reported to have used such heavy weaponry against aircraft.

A resident in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, told the BBC that the city was unusually quiet on Friday, with most people staying inside.

Brig Gen Olukolade said "several thousand" troops had been sent to the three north-eastern states to tackle Boko Haram.

The three semi-desert states where the state of emergency has been declared border Niger, Chad and Cameroon. They are roughly the size of England or the US state of Illinois but have a population of just 10 million.

Last month, Boko Haram rejected the prospect of an amnesty suggested by President Goodluck Jonathan.

 

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Nigeria: Boko Haram in disarray, says army
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22587901

Nigerian troops have been trying to flush out militants from their strongholds

The Nigerian military reports that Boko Haram militants in the north-east of the country are "in disarray" and leaving the country in large numbers as a result of its offensive against them.

In a statement, it said 14 enemy fighters had been killed and 20 apprehended since Saturday.

The army added that three of its soldiers had died in the fighting.

The BBC's Will Ross in the capital Abuja says it is not possible to verify any of this information.

Meanwhile, there are reports of many civilians crossing into Cameroon and Niger as they fear getting caught up in the offensive.

Efforts have been made to close the borders but they remain porous and the army is said to be having difficulty distinguishing between the Islamist militants of Boko Haram and civilians.

Nigeria is waging its biggest campaign to date against Boko Haram in three north-eastern states, having declared a state of emergency there on Tuesday.

Our correspondent says that a possible sign of how well resourced Boko Haram has become is the army's claim that the rebels are trying to move scores of vehicles from its camps, which have been targeted in the offensive.

Saturday saw a 24-hour curfew imposed in parts of the city of Maiduguri, an important base for Boko Haram.

Last week, President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in three north-eastern states - Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe - after a series of deadly attacks by militant groups.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has urged the Nigerian army to show restraint and not violate human rights as it pursues the militants.

Mr Kerry said there were "credible allegations" of "gross human rights violations" by the Nigerian military.

Last November, Amnesty International accused Nigeria's security forces of carrying out widespread abuses in their campaign against Boko Haram, including extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances and torture.

More than 2,000 people have died in violence in Nigeria since 2010, most of which is blamed on Boko Haram.

The group, whose name means "Western education is forbidden", says its quest is to overthrow the Nigerian government and create an Islamic state.

There has been growing concern that Boko Haram is receiving backing from al-Qaeda-linked militants in other countries.

 

[ramonmercado]

As the analysis at the end points out :

So far, this is war without pictures so it has not been possible to independently verify the military's upbeat account of the operation in remote areas of Borno State.

We can't be sure that those arrested are actually Islamist militants. Especially seeing as there is no mention of a battle taking place.

Nigeria: Boko Haram Islamists 'arrested' in Maiduguri
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22602736

Nigerian troops have been trying to flush out militants from their strongholds

About 120 militant Islamists have been arrested in Nigeria's north-eastern city of Maiduguri, as they were organising the burial of a commander, an army spokesman has said.

The military has also recaptured five areas from the militants, he added.

There has been no independent confirmation of what the army has said.

President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in three north-eastern states last week to quell the insurgency by the Boko Haram group.

It has carried out a wave of bombings and assassinations since 2009, saying it wants to establish an Islamic state across Nigeria.

A second Islamist group, Ansaru, joined the insurgency in 2012, taking foreigners hostage.

Officials say some 2,000 people have fled to neighbouring Niger, while more have crossed into Cameroon, since the army launched its offensive in the states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe last week.

'Shallow graves'
Some 2,000 soldiers were deployed to the region last week, in the biggest campaign to date against the Islamist militants.

The army has said it is also sending an extra 1,000 troops to Adamawa state.

Militants fleeing towards neighbouring Chad and Niger are being "contained", military spokesman Chris Olukolade said, in a statement on Monday.

"Advancing troops also observed a few shallow graves believed to be those of hurriedly buried members of the terrorist groups," he added.

Brig Gen Olukolade said the 120 militants who were arrested were being interrogated, bringing to more than 200 the number of Islamists the army says it has arrested since last week.

The militants were seized as they were preparing for the funeral of a commander killed in a battle with government troops, Brig Gen Olukolade added.

The army had secured five towns and villages in remote parts of Borno state after "destroying all the terrorists camps" in the area, he said.

The military said last week it had carried out air strikes, destroying militant bases in Sambisa game reserve, south of Maiduguri, and elsewhere.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has urged the Nigerian army to show restraint and not violate human rights as it pursues the militants.

Mr Kerry said there were "credible allegations" of "gross human rights violations" by the Nigerian military.

Last November, Amnesty International accused Nigeria's security forces of carrying out widespread abuses in their campaign against Boko Haram, including extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances and torture.

More than 2,000 people have died in violence in Nigeria since 2010, most of which is blamed on Boko Haram.

There has been growing concern that the group could be receiving backing from al-Qaeda-linked militants in other countries.

Analysis

Will Ross
BBC News, Lagos

So far, this is war without pictures so it has not been possible to independently verify the military's upbeat account of the operation in remote areas of Borno State.

The militants, we are told, are in disarray but it seems most are getting away as they are reported to be heading for the porous borders with Cameroon and Niger. Civilians have made it across, so the militants will too.

The military is admitting that several of its own soldiers have been killed and injured - a sign of some resistance in the face of significant military might.

The army says the group known as Boko Haram has scores of vehicles, some of which are mounted with heavy weapons - a surprising revelation pointing to a far better equipped outfit than anyone had earlier admitted.

With a curfew and telecommunication links cut in Maiduguri, there are fears that civilians will be vulnerable to abuse by the army as it tries to find the Boko Haram fighters embedded within the population.

 

[Pietro_Mercurios]

When Nigerians goes to war with each other, things can get v.nasty.

 

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When Nigerians goes to war with each other, things can get v.nasty.

Indeed. Shadowy forces may be involved in attempts to provoke a Civil War.

 

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Boko Haram crisis Nigeria to free women
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22618420

Boko Haram has been demanding the release of suspects

Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the release of all women held in connection with "terrorist activity", the defence ministry says.

The decision was aimed at enhancing peace efforts in Nigeria, it added.

The army is conducting an offensive in three states, where an emergency was declared last week to fight the militant Islamist group Boko Haram.

The group had set the release of women and children as a condition for talks with the government.

More than 2,000 people have died in the conflict in Nigeria since Boko Haram launched its insurgency in 2009 to create an Islamic state.

Earlier this month, it said it had abducted women and teenage girls in response to the security forces arresting the relatives of its fighters.

It said it would treat them as "slaves".

Human rights concerns
The defence ministry said a number of suspects detained for "terrorist activities" would be handed to state governments for "further rehabilitation" before being released.

"The measure, which is in line with presidential magnanimity to enhance peace efforts in the country, will result in freedom for suspects, including all women under custody," it added, in a statement.


BBC Hausa Editor Mansur Liman says the decision signals that Mr Jonathan has not shut the door to talks with Boko Haram, despite ordering a military offensive against the group.

Boko Haram will have to decide whether it wants to reciprocate by freeing the hostages it is holding and entering into talks to end the insurgency, he adds.

Mr Jonathan declared a state of emergency in three north-eastern states - Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, where Boko Haram has been most active.

Some 2,000 soldiers were deployed to the region last week, in the biggest campaign to date against Boko Haram.

The military says it has also carried out air strikes, destroying the group's bases.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has urged the Nigerian army to show restraint and not violate human rights as it pursues the militants.

Mr Kerry said there were "credible allegations" of "gross human rights violations" by the Nigerian military.

Last November, Amnesty International accused Nigeria's security forces of carrying out widespread abuses in their campaign against Boko Haram, including extra-judicial killings, enforced disappearances and torture.

 

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Nigerian army 'destroys' Boko Haram camps in north-east
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22662476

Senior officer Chris Olukolade said the camps were used to co-ordinate attacks on nearby local communities

The Nigerian army says it has destroyed a number of well-equipped camps used by the militant Islamist group, Boko Haram, in the north-east of Nigeria.

Senior officer Chris Olukolade revealed the extensive nature of the camps, which he said were used to co-ordinate attacks on nearby local communities.

The BBC has not been able to independently verify the army's claim.

Some 2,000 soldiers were deployed to the region last week, in the biggest campaign to date against Boko Haram.

On 14 May, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan gave security control to the military after declaring a state of emergency in the three north-eastern states where Boko Haram have been most active - Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

At a news conference on Friday, Brigadier General Olukolade gave details of the military offensive, showing photos of what he said were hospital facilities and dormitories set up by the militants in the camps.

Photos included a destroyed fuel depot and what appeared to be bomb-making equipment, says the BBC's Mark Doyle.

"These camps were mini-enclaves from which the insurgents planned their operations and from there they attacked neighbouring communities, going to municipalities and returning there," Brig Gen Olukolade told the BBC.

"Most of their planning and activities was co-ordinated from these camps," he said.

Women and children 'freed'
Meanwhile, three women and six children abducted by Boko Haram have been freed, the authorities said on Friday.

According to Brig Gen Olukolade, the group were abducted on 7 May during an attack by the militants on the north-east town of Bama.

"Efforts of the troops' operation around the Sambisa forest resulted in freedom for nine of the women and children that were held hostage in that camp," he told journalists.

Two children and one woman remain missing, he added.

Those rescued from the Sambisa forest were among the kidnap victims who appeared in a recent propaganda video for Boko Haram, which featured its leader, Abubakar Shekau, the military says.

In the video, Shekau claims he is holding women and children in retaliation for the wives and children of Boko Haram militants held by the military, AFP news agency reports.

However, earlier this week President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the release of all women held in connection with "terrorist activity".

The decision was aimed at enhancing peace efforts, the defence ministry said.

More than 2,000 people have died in violence in Nigeria since Boko Haram launched its insurgency in 2009 to create an Islamic state.

The group, whose name means "Western education is forbidden", says its quest is to overthrow the Nigerian government and create an Islamic state.

There has been growing concern that Boko Haram could be receiving backing from al-Qaeda-linked militants in other countries.

 

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Nigeria: Jail terms to tackle Islamist militancy
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22779919

The move to ban Boko Haram follows an announcement by the US to pay a bounty for the capture of key terror leaders in Africa
C
Nigeria has officially banned two militant Islamist groups, warning that anyone who helps them will face a minimum jail sentence of 20 years.

President Goodluck Jonathan declared Boko Haram and Ansaru to be terrorist groups, his office said.

The army has been waging an offensive against the militants in their northern strongholds since a state of emergency was declared last month.

The insurgency has killed about 2,000 people since 2009.

The activities of both Boko Haram and Ansaru would now fall under the Terrorism Prevention Act, Mr Jonathan's office said, in a statement.

It means that "any person who knowingly, in any manner, directly or indirectly", offers support to Boko Haram and Ansaru would be jailed for "not less than 20 years" if convicted, the statement added.

Continue reading the main story
Boko Haram: Timeline of terror
2002: Founded
2009: Hundreds killed when Maiduguri police stations stormed; leader Mohammed Yusuf captured and killed
Dec 2010: Bombed Jos, killing 80 people; blamed for New Year's Eve attack on Abuja barracks
Jun-Aug 2011: Bomb attacks on Abuja police HQ and UN building
Dec 2011: Multiple bomb attacks on Christmas Day kill dozens
Jan 2012: Wave of violence across north-east Nigeria
April 2012: Deadly Easter church attack in Kaduna; ThisDay newspaper offices bombed
February 2013: French family kidnapped in Cameroon
May 2013: Heavily armed incursion into Bama town
Boko Haram: From preachers to slave raiders
On Monday, the US said it was offering rewards for information on Islamist militants in West and North Africa.

The highest reward of up to $7m (£4.6m) is for information leading to the location of Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, the state department said.

Boko Haram launched the insurgency in 2009, carrying out a wave of bombings and assassinations in north and central Nigeria.

Ansaru, which is suspected to be an off-shoot of Boko Haram, joined the insurgency in 2012, taking foreigners hostage.

It said it had killed seven European and Middle Eastern nationals abducted in February 2012 in the northern Bauchi state.

Last month, Mr Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, the three main strongholds of the Islamist groups.

It led to the army launching a ground and air assault to flush out the militants.

Rights groups repeatedly accuse government troops of targeting innocent people after falsely accusing them of backing the militants.

The army denies the allegation.

 

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Nigeria militants kill school children in Maiduguri
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22963515

Young vigilantes in Maiduguri have been targeting suspected militants

Suspected Islamist militants in north-east Nigeria have killed at least nine school children, the second targeted attack on students in recent days.

Gunmen believed to be from the Boko Haram group opened fire on the pupils, who were in school uniform, at a school on the outskirts of Maiduguri.

Boko Haram said the attack was to punish youngsters for helping the army.

Some survivors said it was a response to the emergence of vigilante groups in the town.

North-eastern Nigeria is under a state of emergency as the government tries to defeat an Islamist insurgency.

Witness Ibrahim Mohammed said he was taking exams in a classroom at Ansarudeen School when gunmen stormed the building.

"I saw five students sitting the exams killed on the spot," he said.

"Four others were killed as they were entering the school premises."

Hospital workers confirmed that the bodies of nine children, still in their uniforms, had been taken to the mortuary in Maiduguri.

A spokesman for Boko Haram handed a message to local journalists saying that the attack was to punish youngsters for assisting the army.


The BBC's Will Ross in Lagos says vigilante groups have been springing up in Maiduguri with young men wielding metal pipes, clubs and machetes handing suspected militants over to the army.

A military spokesman said all those handed over would be given a fair hearing.

However, with hundreds of people being held in detention and few ever coming to court, there is a danger that the vigilante groups could be used to settle scores, our correspondent says.

On Sunday, a school in Damaturu was attacked by suspected Boko Haram gunmen and 13 people including students and teachers were killed.

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan imposed a state of emergency on north-east Nigeria last month and thousands more troops were sent to fight the Islamist militants.

So far there is no evidence to suggest that large numbers of Boko Haram fighters have been killed, our correspondent adds.

 

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Nigerian troops committing atrocities in fight against Islamic uprising - report
http://rt.com/news/nigeria-islam-atroci ... ights-437/

A Nigerian human rights watchdog released a report that says security forces are killing, torturing, illegally detaining and raping civilians in a fight to halt an Islamic uprising in northeast Nigeria that has killed nearly 2,000 people since 2010.

A Nigerian human rights watchdog released a report that says security forces are killing, torturing, illegally detaining and raping civilians in a fight to halt an Islamic uprising that has killed nearly 2,000 people since 2010.

The report, put out by Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission on Sunday, said troops went on a rampage in the northeast of the country after a soldier was killed in April in the fishing village of Baga. Quoting police sources, the soldiers "started shooting indiscriminately at anybody in sight, including domestic animals.” the report said, as quoted by AP.

The retaliation left the homes of many villagers gutted and torched, with troops attempting to hide evidence of the carnage by disposing of bodies.

"The Commission equally received several credibly attested allegations of gross violations by officials of the JTF (joint task force of police and military), including allegations of summary executions, torture, arbitrary detention amounting to internment and outrages against the dignity of civilians, as well as rape," it said.


Members of the Nigerian Defence headquarter team inspecting an alleged Boko Haram base in Kirenowa (AFP Photo)Members of the Nigerian Defence headquarter team inspecting an alleged Boko Haram base in Kirenowa (AFP Photo)

Military officials said 36 people were killed, most of them “extremist fighters.” Witnesses told AP at the time that some 187 civilians were killed.

The report revealed the killings came after Islamic militants had looted a weapons depot, with subsequent reports suggesting the militants were becoming better armed and "had become both more organized and emboldened by their apparent successes, despite the enhanced security presence."

That contradicted reports that the military had taken control of the region in an emergency operation canvassing thee states, or roughly one-sixth of the country. Instead, it appears government troops have pushed the Islamic insurgents into rocky territory where it is more difficult to locate them. It is from these caves and rugged hideouts that the extremists are attacking towns and villages with regularity.

The government commission issued an interim report saying it would determine when its investigators are able to visit the conflict zone, where soldiers have cut mobile phone and internet connections. Nigeria declared a state of emergency on May 14 when extremists from the Boko Haram terrorist group took control of some towns and villages.


The suspected leader of the Nigerian Islamist group linked to Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, Imam Abu Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Abubakar Ash Shekawi, also known as Abubakar Shekau (AFP Photo)The suspected leader of the Nigerian Islamist group linked to Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, Imam Abu Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Abubakar Ash Shekawi, also known as Abubakar Shekau (AFP Photo)

The uprising poses the biggest threat in years to security in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, with 160 million citizens, and the continent's largest producer of oil.

Village communities trapped between the Islamic militants and security forces "reportedly live in desperate fear and destitution," the commission said.

It warned of an imminent threat to public health, as well as food shortages since many farmers have been driven from their fields.

Northeast Nigeria is the poorest region in the country, with government statistics showing 75 percent of the population lives on less than $1 a day.

 

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Nigeria school massacre: 41 children killed, some burned alive
http://rt.com/news/school-massacre-nige ... ldren-740/

School pupils play beside the burnt main auditorium of Maiduguri Experimental School, a private nursery, primary and secondary school burnt by the Islamist group Boko Haram to keep children away from school in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria (AFP Photo)

41 students and an English teacher have been killed in an Islamic extremist attack on a boarding school in northeast Nigeria. Some students were burned alive, according to survivors being treated for burn and gunshot wounds.

"We received 42 dead bodies of students and other staff of Government Secondary School [in] Mamudo last night. Some of them had gunshot wounds while many of them had burns and ruptured tissues," Haliru Aliyu of the Potiskum General Hospital told AFP.

Militants arrived on the scene with vessels carrying large quantities of fuel, which they used to torch the building. Those who tried to flee the burning wreckage were shot, the survivors said.

The attack on Government Secondary School in Mamudo town in the northeastern Yobe state is the latest in a series of militant attacks targeting children.

Chaotic scenes were visible at the nearby hospital which was treating victims of the attack as distressed screaming parents attempted to identify their own children through charred bodies and victims of shootings, according to AP.

A farmer named Malam Abdullahi located the bodies of two of his sons: a 10-year-old who had been shot in the back as he apparently attempted to escape, and a 12-year-old who had taken a bullet to the chest.

“That's it, I'm taking my other boys out of school,” he said tearfully. Abdullahi has three younger children who study nearby.

“It's not safe,” he said. “The gunmen are attacking schools and there is no protection for students despite all the soldiers.”

A state of emergency was declared in Yobe in May, with President Goodluck Jonathan sending thousands of troops to the region. Two other northern states, Borno and Adamawa, have had similar emergency conditions imposed on them.

The area has been targeted by the Boko Haram militant group repeatedly. The sect’s name means “western education is sacrilege.”

Since 2010, dozens of schools have been torched and over 1,600 victims murdered by extremists across the country.

 

[ramonmercado]

Minbar Ansar Deen and Boko Haram face UK membership ban
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23228908

Nigeria's most wanted man, Abubakar Shekau, is the leader of the militant Islamist group Boko Haram

Support for two extremist groups - Minbar Ansar Deen and Boko Haram - is to be made a criminal offence in the UK.

Home Secretary Theresa May has asked for the two radical Islamist organisations to be banned under terrorism laws.

If approved by Parliament, both will be banned from operating in the UK from Friday, the Home Office said.

Minbar Ansar Deen is based in the UK, while Boko Haram operates from Nigeria.

Minbar Ansar Deen - also known as Ansar al-Sharia UK - promotes terrorism by distributing content through a forum on its website, which encourages individuals to travel overseas to engage in extremist activity, specifically fighting, according to the Home Office.

Boko Haram is a militant Islamist group based in Nigeria led by the country's most wanted man, Abubakar Shekau. Its name means "Western education is forbidden" and it has waged an insurgency for more than a decade.

If the two groups are banned, it will be illegal to support or become a member of either group, to arrange meetings or wear clothing in support of them.

Offenders could face fines of up to £5,000 or up to 10 years in prison.

'Potential threat'
The Home Office has not yet offered further information on why it is pursuing the ban of both groups.

Raffaello Pantucci, senior research fellow at the RUSI think tank, said the move indicated that the government sees them as a "potential threat".

Banning the groups would give the police powers to tackle their support networks.

The UK-based Minbar Ansar Deen's website has links to Abu Nusaybah, who was arrested after appearing on the BBC's Newsnight programme talking about Michael Adebolajo, one of the suspects in the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich.

Mr Pantucci said: "It is impossible to say that this constitutes 'a link,' but looking at the group's website they certainly seem to come from the same ideological constellation."

The activities of the Nigerian-based Boko Haram are usually confined to poor, Muslim parts of northern and central Nigeria.

Historically there is little evidence of Boko Haram targeting the UK, Mr Pantucci said.

"Britain's Nigerian community is 90% Christian," said Mr Pantucci, adding that Nigerian terror suspects in the UK were "usually Muslim converts".

However, earlier this year Boko Haram kidnapped a French family in Cameroon. A Nigerian government report revealed the group was paid more than £2m before releasing its hostages.

The Home Office's move to ban the group could indicate that it is becoming more international, "or leaning in that direction", Mr Pantucci said.

Theresa May flagged up Boko Haram, among other extremist groups, in a speech on terrorism in July 2011.

She said: "Increasingly, the threat to Britain comes not just from al-Qaeda's core leadership itself, but from these so-called al-Qaeda's affiliates in places like Yemen and North Africa... and from associated groups like al-Shabab in Somalia and Boko Haram in northern Nigeria."

A Home Office spokesman said: "The government is determined to work with the international community to tackle terrorism and take the steps necessary to keep the UK public safe.

"Proscription of these groups sends a clear message that we condemn their activities."

There are 49 international terror organisations proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000, including al-Qaeda, al-Shabab and Islam4UK.

The latter, previously led by the radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary, was banned in 2010.

In Northern Ireland, 14 organisations were proscribed under previous legislation.

 

[ramonmercado]

Nigeria jails 'Boko Haram' militants for life
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-23245702

Nigerian police fighting Boko Haram (file photo)

Thousands of soldiers and police officers are targeting Boko Haram militants

Four alleged members of the Islamist Boko Haram group have been sentenced to life for their role in bomb attacks that killed 19 people.

They were found guilty of masterminding and carrying out attacks on an electoral commission office and a church last year.

These are the heaviest sentences given to any Boko Haram suspects.

The group is responsible for a series of deadly attacks across northern and central Nigeria.

It has increasingly targeted civilians, with more than 2,000 people killed since Boko Haram launched its insurgency in 2009 to create an Islamic state in the mainly Muslim north of Nigeria.

A state of emergency was declared on 14 May in the north-eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, with more than 2,000 soldiers deployed to break up Boko Haram camps and insurgent operations.

map
The authorities say they have arrested hundreds of militants since then but only a few have been taken to court.

The convicted men were found guilty of plotting and carrying out the 9 April 2012 attack on the electoral commission in Suleja, Niger state, killing 16 people, and a second attack on a church that killed three others in July 2012.

A fifth man was sentenced to 10 years in jail, while a sixth person was acquitted.

The UK on Monday moved to outlaw the group under anti-terror laws, with support for the group now considered a criminal offence.

The group, whose name means "Western education is forbidden", says its quest is to overthrow the Nigerian government and create an Islamic state.

It has increasingly targeted schools, with dozens burned down by Islamists since 2010.

On Sunday, 22 students of a boarding school in Yobe state were killed by suspected Islamists. Eyewitnesses said some of the students were burned alive in the school, while others were shot as they tried to escape.

 

[ramonmercado]

Nigeria's vigilantes take on Boko Haram
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-23409387

Vigilante checkpoint in Maiduguri

Vigilante groups have formed in the northern Nigerian city of Maiduguri to fight the militant Islamist group Boko Haram, a move welcomed by the military as it battles to quell the insurgency, as the BBC's Will Ross reports.

Military checkpoints have been a common sight in the northern Nigerian city of Maiduguri - the birthplace of the militant Islamist group Boko Haram - for several years.

But these days the people asking the questions at the ubiquitous roadblocks are often not in uniform.

They are civilians who are adding their muscle to the fight against Boko Haram, which is waging a military campaign to create an Islamic state across Nigeria.

More than 2,000 people have been killed since it launched an insurgency in 2009.

"When the situation became too bad to endure, we decided to find the Boko Haram members ourselves," said Mohammed, who was stopping and searching cars at one of the checkpoints.

Map locator
"Whenever we see them we arrest them and hand them over to the army. Some of us know these people," he said, adding that he and his colleagues are not paid for the work.

The vigilantes started appearing on the streets in early June, after a state of emergency was declared in May and thousands of extra troops sent to the area to wipe out the militants.

The civilian-run checkpoints have since spread across almost every district of the mainly Muslim town. They are mostly manned by teenage boys and young men in their twenties but there are also some women searching female passengers.

Mohammed said that when they detain a suspected militant, "we bring the holy Koran and then ask him to swear on it. If he's lying we are sure he will die".

'Idiotic thieves'
The vigilantes all carry crude weapons; sticks, machetes, knives and metal pipes. Considering the Islamist militants are known to be well armed you might think the vigilante members feel exposed.

A Nigerian soldiers stands beside a burnt house after the army clashed with Boko Haram insurgents in Borno state. Photo: April 2013
Boko Haram continues to stage attacks despite the state of emergency
"It is thanks to the protection of God - God is our guide whenever you do something with good intention you will definitely succeed," said Mohammed, who normally works as a lorry driver.

"If we are allowed to operate without any interference, definitely we will bring an end to this problem," he said.

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The vigilantes know the local population and can help fish out the insurgents”

Kole Shettima
Analyst
Who are Boko Haram?
Christian life in northern Nigeria
His colleague Salisu, normally a bricklayer, said that the vigilantes, and not Boko Haram, are carrying out the work of Allah.

"It is a mission for the sake of Allah.

"If we refuse to expose these irresponsible archaic hypocritical idiotic thieves, then we will face the wrath of the Koran."

The Nigerian military Joint Task Force (JTF) has welcomed the presence of the vigilantes on the streets of Maiduguri.

"These gestures are commendable as it underscores the desired positive civil-military collaboration necessary for the success of the ongoing internal security operation," said Brig-Gen Chris Olukolade just after civilians had started appearing at the roadblocks.

It is not clear if the vigilantes, also known as the civilian JTF, will later be armed with guns by the government.

Many of the soldiers deployed in northern Nigeria are from other parts of the country and do not know the Kanuri language, the most common used in Maiduguri.

'Guns in coffins'
"Without knowing the environment and the people, building confidence and establishing a presence is very difficult," said Kole Shettima, chairman of the Centre of Democracy and Development in Abuja.

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Boko Haram at a glance
Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau
Founded in 2002
Official Arabic name, Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad, means "People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad"
Initially focused on opposing Western education
Nicknamed Boko Haram, a phrase in the local Hausa language meaning, "Western education is forbidden"
Launches military operations in 2009 to create an Islamic state across Nigeria
Founding leader Mohammed Yusuf killed in same year in police custody
Succeeded by Abubakar Shekau, who is said to be well-versed in theology
Suspected to have split into rival factions in 2012
"The vigilantes know the local population and can help fish out the insurgents."

"But increased conflict between the vigilantes and Boko Haram is possible and this would further militarise the society and make it extremely difficult to see and end to the violence," he said.

"A new group of young people who may get armed could then try to get what they can out of the situation. They may themselves become a danger and mete out their own form of justice."

There are already some reports from Maiduguri of vigilantes killing people, rather than handing suspects over to the army.

In order to sidestep the tighter security presence in Maiduguri, the Islamist militants have diversified their tactics.

Earlier this month several suspected Boko Haram members disguised themselves as women.

They hid their faces behind veils and their guns beneath full-length robes.

Local reports from Maiduguri said their mission was thwarted and soldiers shot several of them dead.

In June eyewitnesses said Islamist insurgents shot dead 13 people in an apparent reprisal attack on members of a vigilante group.

They had sneaked their weapons into the area by pretending to be on their way to a burial, hiding their weapons in the coffin.

The recent attacks on schools have also proved how vulnerable the local population is. Over the past month 48 students and seven teachers have been killed in four attacks in northern Nigeria.

In a video on the internet, Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said his group supported the recent attacks on schools, although he denied being behind the attack on Mamudo in Yobe State where at least 29 students were killed.

There are dangers associated with relying on vigilante groups to offer security for the population.

But as Islamist militants seem determined to attack softer targets, the vigilantes could play a vital role in trying to thwart attacks and save lives, some analysts say

 

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Nigeria vigilantes in deadly Boko Haram clashes
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-23490843

Vigilante checkpoint in Maiduguri

The vigilante force has the backing of the army

At least 20 villagers in Nigeria have been killed after clashes between a vigilante force and militant Islamists, the army and vigilantes have said.

According to the pro-government vigilantes, they stormed the northern village of Dawashe on Saturday to track down militants who retaliated with heavy firepower, killing civilians.

The Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) vigilante group emerged in May.

It has pledged to help the government end Boko Haram's insurgency.

More than 2,000 people have been killed since conflict started in 2009.

map
The Boko Haram sect says it is fighting to create an Islamic state across Nigeria.

The army sees the CJTF as a proxy militia, and has given its members training, the AFP news agency reports.

Vigilante leader Aliko Musa said 25 people were killed in Dawashe in Borno state - the heartland of Boko Haram - most of them fishermen and traders.

Army spokesman Haruna Mohammed Sani confirmed that 20 people had been killed.

"The suspected sect members came armed and fired sporadic shots that killed over 20 innocent civilians," he said.

Boko Haram has not yet commented.

Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan deployed the army to three north-eastern states - Borno, Yobe and Adamawa - after declaring a state of emergency in May.

Boko Haram threatened the unity of Nigeria, he said.

 

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North Nigeria militant attacks 'kill 35'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-23577677

At least 35 people have been killed in two attacks by militants in northern Nigeria, the authorities have said.

A military statement said 32 militants, two soldiers and a police officer died in the assaults on a police station and a military base on Sunday.

An emergency was declared in Borno and two neighbouring states in May after four years of attacks by Boko Haram.

The group took up arms in 2009 to further its goal of turning northern Nigeria into an Islamic state.

More than 2,000 people have been killed since then.

The two attacks in Borno happened on Sunday, but news of them has only just emerged. Communications with the region have been difficult since the state of emergency was declared.

"Troops have successfully repelled Boko Haram terrorist attacks on a police base in Bama... on 4 August," said military spokesman Sagir Musa.

He also said a military base in the town of Malam Fatori was attacked, triggering a gun battle.

The military said "sophisticated weapons" and explosives were used in the attacks.

Boko Haram has not yet commented.

 

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Nigeria's Boko Haram is no threat, says Abba Moro
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-23689074

Thousands of extra soldiers have been sent to north-eastern Nigeria

Nigeria's interior minister has said the army is making progress in the war against Boko Haram militants, despite the killing of 44 people in a mosque.

Abba Moro dismissed the attack as "desperate" and "isolated".

"The security agencies of Nigeria have been able to push the Boko Haram sect from their major strongholds," he told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.

Nigeria has declared an emergency in three states after thousands of deaths in militant attacks in recent years.

Boko Haram is fighting to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north.


The mosque attack happened during dawn prayers on Sunday, although news only emerged on Monday, as communications have been disrupted by the state of emergency.

It took place in the town of Konduga, 35km (22 miles) from the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, where Boko Haram was established in 2002, launching its first attack seven years later.

Twelve further civilians were killed at Ngom village, closer to Maiduguri, reports say.

Boko Haram has not commented on the mosque attack but news of it came as a video emerged of the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau, saying his followers had carried out recent attacks including some that targeted the police and the military.

He said this showed that the army's claims to have inflicted heavy losses on the group were "lies".

It is not clear why the mosque was targeted - one explanation is that members of a local vigilante group may have been praying there.

Several such groups have been set up since the emergency was declared in Borno and two neighbouring states in May.

Boko Haram frequently attacks churches but it has also occasionally targeted mosques and preachers disagree with their views.

The attackers wore military uniforms, officials say, which they may have taken during recent attacks on a barracks.

Map showing location of Maiduguri in Borno state, Nigeria
Following a lull immediately after the emergency was declared, there has been a recent spate of attacks, blamed on Boko Haram, which have left some 160 people dead.

But Mr Moro said these were the "desperate antics" of a group trying to show it was still relevant.

Thousands of extra soldiers have been sent to the region since the state of emergency was announced.

The military cut mobile phone networks when they imposed the state of emergency, saying they wanted to make it more difficult for the militants to organise attacks.

However, some local officials have said this prevents civilians from getting help.

Analysis

Will Ross
BBC News, Lagos

If this was Boko Haram, it might appear baffling. Many churches have been bombed but why would a group that wants to impose Islamic law across Nigeria open fire on worshippers at a mosque?

In fact this would not be the first time Boko Haram has targeted a mosque - Muslim clerics have also been killed because of their views.

The gunmen may have known that amongst the worshippers were members of the vigilante groups that have sprung up to help the army defend the population.

Three months ago the military campaign was launched. But the Islamist militants have not been defeated - over the past month more than 160 people have been killed in attacks on boarding schools, army and police bases as well as a Christian-dominated area of Kano City. Other attacks go unreported. So what is the way forward?

One Borno state official suggests the only solution is to deploy more vigilante groups.

 

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Nigerian troops 'kill Boko Haram commander Momodu Bama'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-23704048

A poster in May showing Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, declared wanted by the Nigerian military - May 2013

Posters listing wanted militants, including Boko Haram's leader, are on display

Nigeria's military has said it has killed the second-in-command of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram.

His death earlier in the month had been "confirmed by other arrested terrorists", a military spokesman, Brig Gen Chris Olukolade said.

Momodu Bama, also known by his alias "Abu Saad", was a specialist in manning anti-aircraft guns, he said.

In May, Nigeria declared an emergency in three north-eastern states in order to battle the militants.

There has been no independent confirmation of Momodu Bama's death and Boko Haram has not commented on the statement.

Map showing location of Maiduguri in Borno state, Nigeria
On Tuesday, Nigeria's Interior Minister Abba Moro told the BBC that the army was making progress in its war against Boko Haram, despite the killing of 44 people in a mosque in the region on Sunday.

The attack by suspected militants took place in the town of Konduga, 35km (22 miles) from the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, where Boko Haram was first established.

Gen Olukolade, a spokesman for Nigeria's Defence Headquarters, said Momodu Bama was one of the "most-wanted" militant commanders and had a 25m naira ($155,000, £100,000) bounty on his head.

He was killed during fighting in Borno state around "the Bama corridor", he said.

Seventeen other militants, including Momodu Bama's father Abatcha Flatari - "one of the spiritual guiding lights of the outlawed terrorist group", were also killed, he said.

Another 24 fighters were arrested, his statement added.

Boko Haram is fighting to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north.

Thousands of people have died since it began its insurgency in 2009.

Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, said in a recent video that his fighters' continuing attacks showed that the army's claims to have inflicted heavy losses on the group were "lies"