Boko Haram Islamist Cult

[ramonmercado]

Nigeria traditional leader shot dead by gunmen

The ruins of Gamboru Ngala's market, Nigeria

Many towns and villages have been razed to the ground in the north-east

A high-ranking traditional leader has been killed in northern Nigeria after his convoy came under attack by suspected Boko Haram militants.

Gunmen shot dead the Emir of Gwoza, Shehu Mustapha Idris Timta, in his car.

Boko Haram has waged an increasingly bloody insurgency since 2009 to create an Islamic state in Nigeria.

Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan vowed to wage "total war" against the group, which has been held more than 200 girls captive since last month.

"They shot the emir of Gwoza. He died on the spot," Wali Ibrahim, an aide to the emir, told the BBC Hausa service.

"After he died we reversed back from that area and we went to the army checkpoint," he added. ...
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27641730

 

[ramonmercado]

Nigeria schools walk line between Islamic and Western traditions

For Muslim children in northern Nigeria, memorising and reciting the holy Koran is an integral part of growing up.

Down an alleyway in central Kano, I find one of the many Koranic schools which have changed little in generations.

About 800 boys are sitting on mats chanting verses of the Koran, which they have written out on wooden tablets with short sharpened sticks, dipped in ink.

They do this for hours each day. For most of these boys, this is the only education they get.

Many come from villages far away. They board at the school where conditions are basic, to put it mildly.

Across northern Nigeria, it is estimated that about 11 million children get no access to mainstream education.

But there is a growing belief that reforms are long overdue and a broader education is essential.

"When I was growing up I didn't get any Western education. I only attended a Koranic schools like this one," says Abdurrahman Muhd, the mallam, or religious teacher, as he shows the students how to write the Arabic script.

"But we have to change to compete with the challenges of modern society." ...
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27658382

 

[ramonmercado]

Nigerian villagers 'killed in Boko Haram church attack'

Suspected Boko Haram militants have killed dozens of villagers in fresh attacks in Borno state in north-eastern Nigeria, the BBC has learnt.

In one attack, gunmen disguised as soldiers fired on a crowd in a church compound, local MP Peter Biye said.

He said he had warned the army that the area was at risk after troops stationed nearby were withdrawn three months ago.

The latest attacks come as the army denied that several generals had been found guilty of aiding the militants.

Nigerian media reported on Tuesday that 10 generals and five other senior military officers had been tried before a court martial for supplying arms and information to the Islamist militant group.

However, a military spokesman called the reports "falsehoods".

This contradicted Interior Minister Abba Moro who in a BBC interview on Tuesday said it was "good news" that the army had identified soldiers who were undermining the fight against the insurgents, and that it sent a strong message to other serving officers.

Boko Haram has waged an increasingly bloody insurgency since 2009 in an attempt to create an Islamic state in Nigeria.

'Revenge killing'
The BBC's Will Ross in Nigeria says the attacks on six villages over the last few days have been near the Mandara Mountains - a known Boko Haram hideout by the border with Cameroon.

Residents who managed to flee Attagara said that their village church first came under attack on Sunday when reportedly 20 people died.

Villagers retaliated and some militants were allegedly killed.

This seemed to prompt a revenge attack on Tuesday when militants dressed as soldiers pretended they had come to protect the village, Mr Biye said.

"They came in mass in military uniform with about 200 motorcycles… they said they came to rescue them [and] they should not run away," he told the BBC's Newsday programme.

Villagers were urged to come to the church, and people gathered believing it was the military, the MP said.

"They surrounded them - they started shooting them," Mr Biye said, adding that the gunmen then burnt many buildings.

Those who had fled into nearby hills reported seeing many dead bodies, he said.

When troops were based in nearby Chinene village, the area was calm but since their withdrawal three months ago the area had become the insurgents' "base", Mr Biye said ...
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27690687

 

[ramonmercado]

Nigeria's Boko Haram crisis: Maiduguri 'preachers kill dozens'

Suspected Boko Haram militants have launched an attack on a village near the north-eastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri, killing about 45 people.

The attackers told villagers they had come to preach before firing on a crowd that gathered, survivors told the BBC.

Separately, officials say up to 200 may have been killed in a wave of attacks in villages in the region this week.

Militants have frequently targeted remote areas since emergency rule was imposed a year ago in the north-east.

Nigeria's government has been facing growing pressure both at home and abroad to do more to tackle Boko Haram since militants kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls in April.

The group has waged an increasingly bloody insurgency since 2009 in an attempt to create an Islamic state in Nigeria - and thousands of people have died in their attacks and the subsequent security crackdown.

Villagers 'tricked'
The attack on the village of Bardari, near the University of Maiduguri on the outskirts of the city, took place late on Wednesday.

The militants entered the village telling people to gather to hear them preach, but then turned their guns on the crowd. ...
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27716898

 

[ramonmercado]

Emir of Kano Ado Bayero dies in Nigeria

The emir of Kano, one of Nigeria's most revered Muslim leaders and a vocal critic of the Islamist Boko Haram militants, has died, aged 83.

Al-Haji Ado Bayero, on the throne of the northern city of Kano since 1963, died after a long illness.

He was the longest-serving emir in Kano's history and sought to reduce tensions with Nigeria's Christians.

Last year, he survived an attack on his convoy by suspected Boko Haram fighters.

'Peace builder'
He will be buried after Friday prayers in Kano, according to Islamic tradition.

Tens of thousands of people, including dignitaries from across Nigeria, are expected to attend despite the short notice.

line
Analysis: Aliyu Tanko, BBC Hausa

Every year at the end of Ramadan, the emir (R) oversaw a three-day royal horse parade

Although the Sultan of Sokoto is Nigeria's most senior Muslim leader, the late Emir of Kano Alhaji Ado Bayero was seen by many as the country's most respected and influential emir.

This is down to his long reign - he spent 50 years on the throne, his efforts to build peace and the way he always stayed out of Nigeria's sometimes murky politics.

Whenever there were tensions between Kano's Hausa-speaking Muslim majority and the large number of mainly Christian Igbo businessmen in the city, he always intervened to calm the situation. ...
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27731238

 

[Pietro_Mercurios]

From the Indy.

Paying for terrorism: Where does Boko Haram gets its money from?

The Islamist terror group’s recent attacks in Nigeria are notable for the expensive military hardware on display. Terrence McCoy reports on the sources of this money, from wealthy Middle Eastern backers to the black market

Some might suggest that our great friends and the owners of a very great deal of London real estate the Saudis are amongst those with the deepest pockets, I'm afraid that I couldn't possibly comment.

 

[Quake42]

Yes, I'm quite sure it will end up being the West's fault somehow. Probably the City and the Bullingdon club have a hand in it as well.



That said the Saudi (and Qatari) ruling elites are beyond vile and the sooner we develop a reliable alternative to oil and allow the Wahabi states to sink back into the medieval way of life they're so fond of the better.

 

[Pietro_Mercurios]

Yes, I'm quite sure it will end up being the West's fault somehow. Probably the City and the Bullingdon club have a hand in it as well.



That said the Saudi (and Qatari) ruling elites are beyond vile and the sooner we develop a reliable alternative to oil and allow the Wahabi states to sink back into the medieval way of life they're so fond of the better.

They probably won't just, 'sink back into the medieval way of life they're so fond of', because they probably already own a fair bit of the City, you're so fond of, if not the Bullingdon club. :lol:

 

[ramonmercado]

Suspected Boko Haram gunmen kidnap 20 women in north-east Nigeria

Suspected Boko Haram gunmen have reportedly kidnapped 20 women from a nomadic settlement in north-east Nigeria near the town of Chibok, where the Islamic militants abducted more than 300 schoolgirls and young women on April 15.

Alhaji Tar, a member of the vigilante groups set up to resist Boko Haram's attacks, said the men arrived at noon on Thursday in the Garkin Fulani settlement and forced the women to enter their vehicles at gunpoint. He said they drove away to an unknown location in the remote stretch of Borno state.

Mr Tar said the group also took three young men who tried to stop the kidnapping.

"We tried to go after them when the news got to us about three hours later, but the vehicles we have could not go far, and the report came to us a little bit late," he said.

In another incident, the defence headquarters said that troops prevented raids by Boko Haram this weekend on villages in Borno and neighbouring Adamawa state. Soldiers killed more than 50 militants on Saturday night as they were on their way to attack communities, defence spokesman Chris Oluklade said. ...
- See more at: http://www.independent.ie/world-news/af ... xYvqi.dpuf

 

[ramonmercado]

Nigeria World Cup viewers hit by deadly bomb blast

At least 21 people have been killed in a bomb blast in northern Nigeria as they were watching a World Cup match, a hospital source has told the BBC.

Witnesses in Damaturu, in Yobe state, say a suicide bomber in a tricycle taxi detonated explosives as people watched Brazil's match against Mexico on TV.

At least 27 people are said to have been seriously injured.

Public screenings of the World Cup in some parts of Nigeria have been banned because of threats by Boko Haram.

Three states, including Yobe, are under a government-imposed state of emergency following years of attacks.

No group has said it was behind the latest blast.

The local police chief has told the BBC that the attack happened outside a shop with a television, where people had gathered to watch the game.

He said it was not a viewing centre where Nigerians often watch football matches, as these have been banned in the state.

Other sources say it was a viewing centre which was attacked.

While the police say 13 people died, the hospital worker told the BBC he had personally counted 21 bodies ...
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27896257

 

[ramonmercado]

Boko Haram crisis: Dozens killed in villages near Chibok

Dozens of villagers are feared dead after attacks by suspected Boko Haram Islamist militants in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state.

The raids on Saturday morning were close to Chibok, from where more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted in April.

Villagers said Boko Haram fighters spent six hours on a shooting spree, chasing fleeing residents into the bush and torching homes.

Boko Haram wants to create an Islamic state in northern Nigeria.

The latest attacks by the group appear to have centred on two villages - Kwarangilam and Koronginim.

Residents described how attackers wearing military uniforms arrived in sports utility vehicles and on motorbikes shouting "Allahu Akbar" and shooting everyone in sight.

Many were gunned down as they tried to hide in the bush.

Witnesses also described seeing Nigerian air force planes and soldiers taking part in a counter-offensive.

The bodies of Boko Haram fighters were also reported to have been found outside Kwarangilam along with burned-out vehicles. ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27963728

 

[ramonmercado]

Nigeria's Boko Haram 'seizes women' in Borno

More than 60 women and children have been abducted in northern Nigeria by suspected militant Islamists, residents and officials say.

The abductions are said to have taken place during a series of raids over the past week on villages in Borno state.

Dozens of people were killed in the attacks, and people have been fleeing the villages, a BBC reporter says.

The Islamist group Boko Haram is still holding more than 200 girls it captured in Borno's Chibok town on 14 April.

Boko Haram is demanding the release of its fighters and their relatives, in exchange for the girls. The government has rejected this.

BBC Nigeria correspondent Will Ross says the latest abductions do not come as a surprise.

Many remote villages in north-eastern Nigeria are extremely insecure and when Boko Haram fighters attack, they often spend hours looting and killing, he says.

The abductions took place in the Damboa area, close to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State and the headquarters of Boko Haram until it was forced out by the military and vigilante groups.

Kummabza was just one of the villages targeted, our correspondent says.

One of the village's residents told BBC Hausa: "These Boko Haram insurgents just came in and raided entire villages.

"They captured some women and children and burnt almost all the houses."

The area's senator, Ali Ndume, told the BBC that some men had also been abducted.

"They took them to Izge [a village], sorted them out, took away some females and males that are strong and left the elderly and the weak ones." ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27998502

 

[ramonmercado]

At least 21 dead after bomb explodes in Nigerian shopping mall

Firefighters douse cars after a bomb blast at a crowded shopping district in Abuja, June 25, 2014.

The explosion tore through the popular Banex Plaza shopping center in the upscale Wuse 2 district of the Nigerian capital Abuja during rush hour on Wednesday, a police spokesman said. REUTERS/Afolabi

An explosion blamed on Islamic extremists has rocked a shopping mall in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, killing at least 21 people.

The blast came as Nigerians were preparing to watch their country's Super Eagles play Argentina at the World Cup in Brazil. Many shops at the mall have TV screens but it was unclear if the explosion was timed to coincide with the match, which started an hour later.

Witnesses said body parts were scattered around the exit to Emab Plaza, in Abuja's upmarket Wuse 2 suburb.

Police Superintendent Frank Mba said 17 people were wounded and 21 bodies were recovered.

He also said one suspect has been arrested and investigations have already started.

The government urged calm and said it is doing everything possible to "to check the activities of insurgents".

One witness said he thought the bomb was dropped at the entrance to the mall by a motorcyclist. ...

- See more at: http://www.independent.ie/world-news/af ... CeCgh.dpuf

 

[ramonmercado]

Nigeria violence: Several dead in Bauchi blast

At least 10 people have been killed and 14 injured in an explosion in the northern Nigerian city of Bauchi, police say.

Police spokesman Mohammed Haruna told AFP news agency the blast, which took place on Friday evening, occurred in a building widely known as a brothel.

The cause of the blast is not clear, although Islamist militant group Boko Haram have repeatedly attacked Bauchi.

It came just two days after a bomb in the capital Abuja killed at least 22.

The attack, in which dozens more people were injured, targeted a busy shopping area ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28071027

 

[ramonmercado]

Hmmm...

Nigeria: Boko Haram Members 'Being Killed by Mystical Bees and Mysterious Snakes Possessed by Ghosts'

Members of terror group Boko Haram have allegedly been arrested in Nigeria after fleeing a forest to escape deadly bites from "mystical bees" and "mysterious snakes".

According to Nigerian newspaper Vanguard, the captured insurgents claimed the creatures -- possessed by ghosts -- had killed many Boko Haram members.

"We were told that the aggrieved people who had suffered from our deadly mission -- including the ghosts of some of those we killed -- are the ones turning into the snake and bees," one militant told Vanguard. "Our leaders fled, too." ...

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/nigeria-boko- ... ml#Kw66pe7

 

[ramonmercado]

Missing Nigeria schoolgirls: Businessman and two women with suspected Boko Haram links arrested

More than 200 of the kidnapped schoolgirls are still in captivity

Several suspected Boko Haram collaborators have been arrested for involvement in the kidnapping of almost 300 schoolgirls in Nigeria.

Among them is a businessman, Babuji Ya’ari, based in Maiduguri who allegedly helped the Islamist insurgents plan several attacks and murders under the cover of a pro-government vigilante group fighting Boko Haram.

Two women were also arrested, with one accused of coordinating payments to other “operatives”.

A defence spokesman, Major General Chris Olukolade, said Ya’ari used his membership of the pro-government group “as a cover, while remaining an active terrorist”.

“His main role in the group is to spy and gather information for the terrorists,” he added.

The Major General claimed the man had coordinated several deadly attacks in Maiduguri since 2011 and was involved in the killing of a traditional ruler, the Emir of Gwoza. ...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world ... 77920.html

 

[kamalktk]

Supernatural snakes and bees are attacking Boko Haram

via the BBC:
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-28034240

The Nigerian Army is struggling to flush Boko Haram Islamist fighters out of their forest fastness, but it seems snakes may be doing the job for them.

Two suspected Boko Haram gunmen captured by local volunteers in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria, said they had fled the Sambisa Forest because of "incessant snake bites", the Vanguard newspaper reports.

One of the suspects, Kolo Mustapha, said bees have also been known to join in the attacks, often leaving their victims fatally injured. Some of his fellow-fighters think there is a supernatural aspect to the attacks, fearing that Boko Haram's victims are wreaking vengeance on their killers. Mustapha said he was caught because, like many others, he was trying to sneak back into town "as we have nowhere else to go". "Our leaders have fled to Cameroon," he added, saying they had forced local youths to join the group.

The other captive, Umar Abor, said "almost all our comrades are leaving the Sambisa because of constant attacks by snakes and bees". Many accuse Boko Haram leaders of having brought the plague upon themselves by kidnapping and killing civilians. The Civilian JTF volunteers agree that fighters have been fleeing the forest in growing numbers over the past two weeks, and were helping the security forces find weapons caches.

 

[ramonmercado]

50 rebels killed as Boko Haram raid repelled

At least 50 alleged insurgents were killed during clashes with Nigerian soldiers as security forces repelled an attack on a military base in the north-eastern state of Borno.

Six soldiers, including the commanding officer, died in the assault on the base and a nearby police station in the town of Damboa, a statement from Defence Ministry spokesman Major General Chris Olukolade said.

The daring move appeared to be a reprisal attack after a punishing air raid 24 hours earlier caused Boko Haram Islamic extremists to suffer heavy casualties, according to an officer who requested anonymity because he is not allowed to give information to reporters.

Modu Gwasha, member of a civilian defence group that fought alongside the soldiers, alleged that Boko Haram extremists burned several military vehicles during the assault, including two tanks. He added that he saw the corpses of at least 10 soldiers and five police officers.

Security forces have recently come under fire from some Nigerians who accuse the government of doing nothing to curb the increase in violence.

Previous attacks on military bases in the northeast have sent soldiers fleeing for safety.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/world/50-r ... 74480.html

 

[ramonmercado]

Boko getting bolder.

Nigeria's Boko Haram 'controls' Damboa in Borno

Boko Haram's insurgency has become more brutal in the past year

Nigeria's militant Islamists are in control of the key town of Damboa in north-eastern Nigeria, a local vigilante leader has told the BBC.

The vigilante force defending the town fled on Sunday, and Islamist group Boko Haram's black flag is now flying over Damboa, he said.

At least 40 people were killed when Boko Haram attacked Damboa on Friday, the vigilante leader added.

The group has been fighting since 2009 to create an Islamic state in Nigeria.

In April, it sparked international outrage by abducting more than 200 girls from their boarding school in Chibok, in Borno state, like Damboa.

Nigerian soldiers stand guard at the offices of the state-run Nigerian Television Authority in Maiduguri, Nigeria - June 2013
The military is said to lack the equipment to fight Boko Haram
Rally in support of missing girls in Lagos, Nigeria. 5 May 2014
A global campaign has been waged to secure the release of the girls
The BBC's Chris Ewokor in the capital, Abuja, says when Boko Haram seized towns and villages in the past, it was driven out by the military.

However, government forces have failed to launch an offensive to recapture Damboa, he says.

'Checkpoints'
It is one of the biggest towns in Borno state and a busy trading centre for people from neighbouring villages.

Military spokesman Chris Olukolade said government forces were "firming up" their deployment to the area. ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28406645

 

[ramonmercado]

Looks as if BH are intent on becoming the ISIS of West Africa.

'Boko Haram' abducts Cameroon politician's wife

The Cameroonian military says members of the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram have abducted the wife of the country's deputy prime minister in the northern Cameroonian town of Kolofata.

A local religious leader and mayor was also abducted from the same town.

Separately, at least five people in northern Nigeria were killed in a blast - residents suspect Boko Haram.

Boko Haram has stepped up cross-border attacks into Cameroon in recent weeks, as the army was deployed to the region.

Militants have kidnapped foreign nationals in northern Cameroon before, including a French family and Chinese workers.

'Critical situation'
The wife of Deputy Prime Minister Amadou Ali and her maid were taken in "a savage attack" on his home by Boko Haram militants on Sunday, Information Minister Issa Tchiroma said.

But Mr Ali, who was breaking his fast for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan at the time of the attack, managed to escape to a neighbouring town, regional commander Col Feliz Nji Formekong told the Reuters news agency.

"The situation is very critical here now, and as I am talking to you, the Boko Haram elements are still in Kolofata town in a clash with our soldiers," he added.

A local politician and his family were also abducted in a separate attack.

Meanwhile, Nigerian police say five people were killed when a bomb was thrown at worshippers as they were leaving a church in Nigeria's main northern city of Kano on Sunday.

A young female suicide bomber also wounded five police officers as she rushed towards them and blew herself up in a separate incident, they add. ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28509530

 

[ramonmercado]

Another attack in Cameroon. Be interesting to see if BH declare a West African Caliphate.

'Islamist militants' kill 10 in northern Cameroon

Militants with suspected ties to Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram have killed 10 people in a raid on a remote village in north Cameroon, police say.

Nine bus passengers and a soldier were shot dead after coming "face-to-face" with heavily armed militants in Zigague, they add.

The son of a local chief was kidnapped in the attack, local media reports.

Boko Haram, based in north-eastern Nigeria, has intensified cross-border raids into Cameroon in recent weeks.

It follows the deployment of more than 1,000 soldiers to Cameroon's long and porous border with Nigeria last month, in a bid to prevent such attacks.

"A group of people we think are linked with Boko Haram made an incursion this afternoon in Zigague. They blocked the road and opened fire," a police officer told AFP news agency.

The villagers were killed when the militants were confronted by Cameroonian soldiers, according to local media. ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28684302

 

[ramonmercado]

A really depressing development.

Boko Haram crisis: Nigeria's female bombers strike

Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram is accused of unleashing a new weapon of war - the female suicide bomber, fuelling concern that its insurgency has entered a more ruthless phase.

Four of them - all teenage girls - carried out attacks in the biggest northern city, Kano, last week, leading to social media sites going viral with speculation - dismissed as unfounded by the government - that Boko Haram had turned some of the more than 200 schoolgirls abducted in April into human bombs.

At the same time, government spokesman Mike Omeri said the security forces had arrested three people in neighbouring Katsina state - including two girls aged 10 and 18 - with explosive belts strapped around them.

Nigeria's first female bomber - a middle-aged woman - struck in June: Riding a motorcycle, she went to a military barracks in the north-eastern city of Gombe, where she detonated her explosives while being searched at a checkpoint, killing one soldier. ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28657085

 

[ramonmercado]

BH are truly the ISIS of West Africa.

Chadian soldiers 'rescue 85 Nigerians from Boko Haram'

Reports are emerging of the rescue by Chadian troops of some 85 Nigerian villagers abducted earlier this week by suspected Boko Haram militants.

A Nigerian security official told AFP that they had intercepted a convoy of buses transporting gunmen and the villagers in a routine security check.

Neither the Nigerian or Chadian militaries have confirmed the reports.

Boko Haram is accused of kidnapping hundreds of people in the north-east of Nigeria, and neighbouring Cameroon.

The group, which wants to create an Islamic state in the region, sparked international outcry when they abducted more than 200 schoolgirls in April in Nigeria's remote down of Chibok in Borno state. ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28824379

 

[ramonmercado]

Is Boko Haram Teaming Up With ISIS for a Super Caliphate?

A video released by the Islamist militants in Nigeria prompts questions about Boko Haram's plans.

Boko Haram, the militant Islamist group with a foothold in northeastern Nigeria that's known for its mass kidnappings and violent tactics, released a video earlier this month making an unprecedented claim: The group announced it had added the city of Gwoza to "the Islamic caliphate."

Experts are unsure about the exact meaning of this claim, which was issued by Boko Haram's leader, Abubakar Shekau. There are at least two possibilities: The group has declared its own caliphate in Nigeria, or it has pledged allegiance to ISIS—that is, the so-called Islamic State run by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.

Shekau's speech was relatively vague, but Brian Michael Jenkins, a terrorism expert at the RAND Corporation, thinks it's more likely that he was throwing in with ISIS—though "it's not entirely clear." Jenkins speculated that the wording of Shekau's statement, citing "the" Islamic caliphate, paired with Shekau's praise of Baghdadi (both in the video and earlier statements) suggests an attempt to link Boko Haram with ISIS. "If the leader of Boko Haram is saying his area is part of the Islamic State," Jenkins says, "he agrees that Baghdadi is the caliph…or the sole leader of the world's 1.5 billion Muslims."

There is a "sense of solidarity" between the groups, says Mark Schroeder, an Africa Analyst for Stratfor, a geopolitical intelligence firm. He suggested that the video is "good for public relations" and might attract further attention to Boko Haram, given the success ISIS has had in the Middle East. ...

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/201 ... -caliphate

 

[ramonmercado]

Another worrying development to say nothing of the fact that BH travel around in armoured trucks.

Nigeria's Boko Haram 'seize' Bama town in Borno

Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram has seized the key north-eastern town of Bama after fierce fighting with government forces, residents say.

Thousands of civilians have fled the town, along with soldiers, they added.

The military has not yet officially commented on the claim that it has lost control of Bama, the second biggest town in Borno state.

Last month, Boko Haram said it had established an Islamic state in areas it controls in north-eastern Nigeria.

If confirmed, the capture of Bama would be an extremely significant development and would raise concerns that Boko Haram's next target will be Maiduguri, the state capital about 70km (45 miles) away, says BBC Hausa service editor Mansur Liman in the capital, Abuja.

It would be the biggest town under Boko Haram control.

Residents told BBC Hausa that Boko Haram captured Bama after heavy fighting on Sunday and Monday.

The military had initially repelled Boko Haram's assault, but the group returned with reinforcements to seize the town, the residents said.

The militants, who travelled in armoured trucks, first took control of the military barracks, they added.

Soldiers and residents fled on foot, many of them walking all the way to Maiduguri, residents told the BBC. ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29021037

 

[ramonmercado]

Towns seized by Boko Haram as soldiers flee

Nigeria’s Islamic extremists of Boko Haram have seized more towns along Nigeria’s northeastern border with Cameroon and are adopting a new strategy of encouraging civilians to stay, witnesses said, as the militants pursue their new aim to carve out an "Islamic caliphate" under their black and white flag.

Nigerian army soldiers fled when hundreds of insurgents in stolen military armoured personnel carriers, trucks and motorcycles attacked Gulak, an administrative headquarters of Adamawa state, said resident Michael Kirshinga, who also ran away.

The nearby towns of Duhu, Shuwa, Kirshinga and others also fell in assaults over Friday night and Saturday, witnesses said.

Further north, soldiers fought off rebels advancing on Saturday on Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, headquarters of the military campaign against the insurgency and the birthplace of Boko Haram.

The military attacked the rebels’ camp at a village outside Kondudga, just 25 miles from Maiduguri.

Thunderous heavy gunfire could be heard in Maiduguri throughout the weekend, instilling fear in already panicked residents. Hundreds fled the city even before hearing the frightening sounds of battle.

The soldiers killed dozens of the extremists outside Konduga, said a member of the vigilante group that fights alongside the military. The soldiers were sent to retake the town of Bama, which fell to Boko Haram a week ago, but stopped at Konduga and refused to advance, said a vigilante commander.

Bama is littered with bodies, residents who fled the town said. The extremists were killing men, but sparing women and children, they said. ...

http://www.irishexaminer.com/world/town ... 85337.html

 

[ramonmercado]

Nigerian soldiers kill scores of Islamic extremists

An officer and other witnesses say soldiers killed scores of Islamic extremists in a rare victory as the insurgents advanced on a town near the north-east Nigerian city of Maiduguri.

One officer said a feared Boko Haram commander was among some 200 militants killed in a battle Friday in Konduga town, 22 miles (35km) from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state and birthplace of the extremist group. ...
- See more at: http://www.independent.ie/world-news/af ... EBvpd.dpuf

 

[ramonmercado]

Another atrocity. They really hate and fear education.

Boko Haram: Nigeria teacher training college attacked

Gunmen have attacked a teacher training college in the Nigerian city of Kano, with officials saying at least 15 people have been killed.Another 34 people were injured. The attackers exchanged fire with police outside the college before running inside.

It is not clear who was responsible, although suspicion will fall on militant Islamist group Boko Haram, which has been waging an insurgency in Nigeria since 2009. Officials said two suicide bombers also died in the attack.

"We heard several shots from the gate area and after a few minutes we heard an explosion at the [lecture] theatre," lecturer Sanusi Umar told Reuters. "The attackers were wearing suits and were running and shooting everywhere," he added. ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29244107

 

[ramonmercado]

Boko Haram militants have attacked a rural market in the north-east Nigerian town of Mainok, killing dozens of people, officials and witnesses say. Gunmen shot at traders and customers as they raided the busy market for food supplies on Friday. The number of casualties is not yet clear, with some reports suggesting as many as 30 people were killed.

Boko Haram has taken control of a series of towns and villages in north-eastern Nigeria in recent weeks. ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29297402

 

[ramonmercado]

Twenty-seven people including 10 Chinese workers held for months by suspected Boko Haram militants have arrived in Cameroon's capital. The hostages were flown to Yaounde from the country's far northern region after being freed early on Saturday. They include the wife of Cameroon's Vice-Prime Minister, Amadou Ali. They were seized in two separate raids in May and July close to the Nigeria border. It is not clear how their release was secured.

Boko Haram is seeking to establish an Islamist state in Nigeria but its fighters often cross the long and porous border with Cameroon. Many Nigerian civilians in border towns have fled to Cameroon to escape militant attacks, which have been stepped up in recent months.

In July, Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad and Niger agreed to form a 2,800-strong regional force to tackle Boko Haram militants. ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29581495