Human rights watch october 2012 5 since july 2009, suspected members of boko haram, an armed islamic group, have killed at least 1,500 people in northern and central nigeria. Boko haram formed in 2002 when mohammed yusuf, a wellknown preacher and proselytizer of the izala sect of islam in the maiduguri region of nigeria, began to radicalize his discourse to reject all secular aspects of nigerian society. Nigeria says 110 girls unaccounted for after boko haram. According to liolio 20, the successful recruitment of the people into the group.
This report documents boko harams violent campaign against nigerians since the. This study adopts poverty theory to examine the threat of boko haram insurgency on nigerian national security. Boko haram insurgency in nigeria as a symptom of poverty and political alienation. The research argued that the insurgence of the sect would continually be a. February boko haram militants attack chad for the first time after 30 fighters crossed lake chad in four motorboats and attacked the village of ngouboua. Through its violent jihadidriven campaign in nigeria and the lake chad basin, since 2009 boko haram has killed tens of thousands, kidnapped hundreds, and displaced nearly two million nigerians. Stabilizing northeast nigeria after boko haram carnegie.
Between june 2014, when boko haram reportedly deployed its first female suicide bomber, and february 2018, about 468 women and girls have been deployed or arrested in 240 suicide attacks, the most. In april 2014, the conflict rose to prominence on the international stage after boko haram kidnapped 270 schoolgirls from the northern town of chibok. In 2015 the group began calling itself islamic state in west africa. In 20, the nigerian military intensified its campaign against boko haram. It gained notoriety by abducting more than 200 girls from the north. The attacks took place two months prior to the presidential elections in nigeria. Boko haram refers to a group of islamist militant factions in northern nigeria that trace their ideological origins to. This means that maos theory of revolutionary war can be applied to the boko haram crisis in nigeria in order to find more effective methods than have been used so far by the government of nigeria to fight boko haram.
Boko haram s attackscentered in the northhave primarily targeted police and other government security agents, christians. One hundred and ten girls are missing after an attack on a school in northeast nigeria by suspected boko haram insurgents, the information ministry said on sunday, in. Introduction nigeria is a rich country in both human and natural resources and it has the vision of. Frequently asked questions congressional research service summary boko haram, a violent nigerian islamist movement, has grown increasingly active and deadly in its attacks against state and civilian targets in recent years, drawing on a narrative of victimization. A view shows an empty classroom at the school in dapchi, where dozens of school girls went missing after an attack on the village by boko haram, in the northeastern state of yobe, nigeria. The attack happened in the villages of bale shuwa and bale kura, close to both maiduguri and the citys military camp. Boko harams campaign against education and enlightenment. In 2015, boko haram leader abubakar shekau pledged allegiance to abu bakr albaghdadi, the leader of the islamic state, and boko haram became known as islamic states west africa province iswap. Meaning of boko haram is subtler than media portrayal 6. The anatomy of a crisis 10 since 2009 boko haram has become a metaphor for insecurity in nigeria after the government launched a clampdown on the group, which resulted in some 800 deaths, mostly of the sect members. Boko haram s campaign against education and enlightenment. Boko haram s attack on rann, a town in north east nigeria on january 28th resulted in 60 reported fatalities and more than 30,000 people fleeing al jazeera, 29 january 2019. Boko harams attacks increasingly targeted civilians and from 2012 the.
Boko haram, a movement claiming to act in the name of is lam, has killed tens of thousands of people in nigeria and the neighboring countries of niger, chad, and cameroon. Militants from islamic state west africa province took over the town of baga and seized the multinational joint task force base. Emergence of boko haram, causes, impacts of boko haram 1. Some see it as an attempt to islamise the secular nigerian state, while some believe it to be an attempt to change the status quo in order to concretise the perceived dominance of the northerners over the rest of the country. The boko haram insurgency in particular cuts across the borders of nigeria to niger. June 16 twin suicide bomb attacks in ndjamena twin suicide bombings blamed on boko haram jihadists killed 24 people and wounded more than 100 in the first such attacks in chads capital ndjamena. Militants technically defeated buhari, bbc, december 24. In 2002, an offshoot of this youth group not yet known as boko haram declared the city and the islamic establishment to be intolerably corrupt and irredeemable. Chad recently joined nigeria, niger, and cameroon in a military coalition against boko haram. Nigeria is still haunted by boko harams abduction of more than 270 schoolgirls from the town of. Boko haram violence against women and girls in northeast nigeria.
What is boko haram, the militant group terrorizing nigeria. Washington worries boko haram planning attack on u. Jun 06, 2018 despite a multitude of victory sound bites, research from bbc monitoring indicates boko harams attacks have just as frequent and deadly over the past two years. In recommendation, government supposed to formulate a policy towards the solution. After a violent suppression in 2009, boko haram resurfaced in the fall of 2010 with a high profile campaign of assassinations and attacks throughout northern nigeria. Boko haram is trying to create an islamic state in the lake chad region, which spans parts of nigeria, niger, cameroon and chad. Nigerians mourn triple suicide attack involving girls. Boko haram attacks and security force abuses in nigeria, october 2012, 31. A large part of boko haram s calculations, rather, have been focused on its covert front and on war avoidance altogether. These set of militant during the cause of prosecuting their objective have destroyed properties worth billions of naira. Boko haram profile boko haram bh is a sunni islamist armed group based in borno state in northeast nigeria. Nigeria an overview of challenges to peace and security.
Nigeria bore the brunt of these attacks, with the most common method being armed assault. Facilitate access to credit and land for women, recognising that single females and especially widowheaded households need particular support to restart productive activities, for example in traditional crafts, trade or agriculture. This is against the backdrop of the rising spate of violent attacks. Boko haram leader abu shekau reportedly fled to ngaoundere in northern cameroon after boko harams january 20, 2012 attacks in kano, which killed 186 people. Boko haram is not just a nigerian problem although nigeria is bearing the brunt of the crisis, boko haram has been launching violent attacks in niger, chad and cameroon, too planting bombs in public places, abducting women and girls, forcefully conscripting young men and boys, and destroying villages and towns. The attack on rann came just after the multinational joint task force mnjtf a coalition of forces from nigeria, cameroon, chad, niger, and benin withdrew. Frequently asked questions congressional research service summary boko haram, a violent nigerian islamist movement, has grown increasingly active and deadly in its attacks against state and civilian targets in recent years, drawing on a narrative of resentment. Boko haram is a radical islamist movement shaped by its nigerian context and reflecting nigeria s history of poor governance and extreme poverty in the north. Likewise, deaths from boko haram s attacks represented nearly 70 percent of all fatalities from terrorist attacks in nigeria. Boko haram translates from hausa to western education is forbidden. Pdf boko haram terrorism and human security in nigeria.
Boko harams religious and political worldview brookings institution. The group was founded in 2002 by an islamist cleric named mohammed yusuf in response to nigerias democratic transition, nationalism and western influence. War crimes committed by boko haram in northeast nigeria. The movement is unique in that it combines a sectarian, radical islamic agenda with violence. Fragmentary evidence and a sense of inevitability that boko haram may be planning an attack on u. The end of 2011 general election in nigeria results to mass recognition of another set of militant popularly called boko haram. Date citystate attacks and number of casualties 27 july, 2009 potiskum in yobe state divisional police headquarters, three policemen and. Two young girls among three suicide bombers who killed at least 20 in attack on a village in northeastern nigeria. Since 2009 the group has carried out largescale acts of violence. Divergent views emerge on the rationale behind boko haram islamic insurgency in nigeria. This research examined the activities of the boko haram sect and how it has impeded the national security, economic, political and social matrix of the nigerian polity. Attacks by the terrorist groups boko haram and isiswa continued in spite of the nigerian governments progress in its counterinsurgency efforts. In nigeria, boko haram wa s responsible for more than 80 percent of all terrorist attacks between 1970 and 201 3 for which a perpetrator group was identified, despite their relatively recent onset of violence in 2009. View cnn s fast facts on boko haram and learn more about the militant islamic group based in nigeria, whose purpose is to institute sharia, or islamic law.
Boko haram attacks and security forces abuse in nigeria. Introduction boko haram is a salafijihadi muslim group that has operated in northeastern nigeria since 2002. But boko harams killings, destruction, and threats drove out many officials, as well as tradi. A litany of boko haram attacks in nigeria 2009 2012. Sandals are strewn near a school in dapchi, nigeria, after an attack and mass kidnapping by boko haram on feb. The history of boko haram boko haram s origins lie in a group of radical islamist youth who worshipped at the alhaji muhammadu ndimi mosque in maiduguri a decade ago. The views expressed in this report do not necessarily reflect the views of the united states institute of peace, which does not advocate specific policy positions. During training with aqmi, boko haram members also mastered nigeria.
Understanding the dangerous journey from boko haram. On 2 april, a boko haram attack on the outskirts of maiduguri resulted in the death of 18 people and another 84 wounded. Background report boko haram recent attacks on tuesday, april 15, 2014, the terrorist organization boko haram attacked a girls school in chibok, borno state, in northern nigeria, abducting between 250300 young school girls. Jihad, commonly referred to as boko haram,1 has emerged as a violent challenger to the authority of the nigerian state. In a country where religion and religious identity are intertwined in ethnic, politi cal, economic, and social controversies, these dynamics.
The recent surge in military strikes after chads operation boma wrath in midapril and the relocation of nigeria s army head general tukur yusuf buratai to the northeast could. Frequently asked questions congressional research service summary boko haram, a violent nigerian islamist movement, has grown increasingly active and deadly in its attacks against state and civilian targets in recent years, drawing on narratives of religious. Updated timeline of boko haram attacks and related. Those terrible weeks in their camp 2 ascertain if some, or all, had also been abducted or if they were family members of the insurgents. A view shows an empty classroom at the school in dapchi, where dozens of school girls went missing after an attack on the village by boko haram, in the northeastern state of yobe, nigeria on. Pdf boko haram insurgency in nigeria as a symptom of. Mar 11, 2012 boko haram claims to have substantial support in the north, and whatever their numbers, they grow each time retaliation is carried out by the government. Jan 29, 2020 a litany of boko haram attacks in nigeria 2009 2012. In the aftermath of the kidnappings, the government of nigeria requested assistance.
In july 2010, boko haram s former secondincommand, abubakar shekau, appeared in a video claiming leadership of the group and threatening attacks on western influences in nigeria. Civilianled governance and security in nigeria after boko haram. Boko haram continues to drive terrorism threat in northern. Recently there has been a spate of suicide attacks on churches, for which boko haram is suspected.
Relations with the islamic world analysis paper no. Boko haram says it carried out christmas attacks in nigeria. Federal university lafia, nigeria abstract this paper explores the humanitarian impact of terrorism in nigeria from the standpoint of boko haram insurgency. From december 2019, boko haram has increasingly carried out attacks in northeastern nigeria, particularly along the important road between maiduguri and damaturu, the capitals of borno and yobe states. Boko haram s marked increase in its capabilities in a very. Nigerias boko haram attacks in numbers as lethal as ever. Despite the governments efforts boko haram continues to be a potent threat in rural areas and in the towns of borno state, and in some parts of yobe and adamawa states and failures to adequately protect people from boko haram attacks and slow response to distress calls have been reported see targets of violations and state protection. In december, boko haram launched a series of attacks in northeast nigeria.
An assessment of strengths, vulnerabilities, and policy options 1 introduction the islamist group jamaatu ahl as. Boko haram refers to a group of islamist militant factions in northern nigeria that trace their ideological origins to the slain imam mohammed yusuf 1970 2009. Indeed, covert tactics have been the main vehicle by which boko haram has projected its threat to the northwest and central belt of nigeria, as well as beyond its borders to cameroon, chad and niger. Boko haram is an islamic sect that believes politics in northern nigeria has been seized by a group of. Boko haram in nigeria the latest news from al jazeera. How boko haram specifically targets displaced people reliefweb. Despite a multitude of victory sound bites, research from bbc monitoring indicates boko haram s attacks have just as frequent and deadly over the past two years. More than 100 women are working with security agents in borno state to thwart boko haram attacks. A leader of the militant group boko haram has released a video claiming it carried out a series of attacks in northeast nigeria over the christmas period abubakar shekau, the head of one of. Boko haram is an islamist militant group based in northern nigeria and the lake chad region.
Pdf the psychological trauma inflicted by boko haram. Onuoha \ a danger not to nigeria alone boko haram s transnational reach and regional responses. A large part of boko harams calculations, rather, have been focused on its covert front and on war avoidance altogether. Boko haram, islamic sectarian movement founded in 2002 in northeastern nigeria. The impact of boko haram insurgency on nigerian national. Thus, the nigerian state needs to immediately cease their attacks on areas where boko haram is located, and seek to negotiate their terms. Boko haram female suicide attacks was already globally unprecedented. Boko haram whether the organization is more dangerous to urban or ruraldwelling christians in nigeria.
The use of suicide bombers as a mode of attack as in the june 17 incidentis quite common by the faction of boko haram led by abubakar shekau, which is largely confined to borno state and. Boko haram, a diffuse islamist sect, has attacked nigerias police and military, politicians, schools, religious buildings, public institutions, and civilians with increasing regularity since 2009. With their open claims on recorded videoaudio clips to islamize nigeria with the force of war, boko haram attacks on the nigerian civilian population in places of worship has further exacerbated existing religious cleavage among the adherents of the two major religions islam and christianity in nigeria. The unicef reports that one in five suicide bombers used by boko haram has been a child. Behind the headlines prepared may 22, 2014 contents. The paper will conclude with comments on what the findings mean for nigeria and the understanding of the origins of terrorist groups in general. Boko haram reportedly launched 90 armed assaults and 59 suicide attacks in 2017. Boko haram and islamic fundamentalism in nigeria 47 to date, boko harams attacks have become increasingly daring and lethal, from sporadic skirmishes with police and sectarian violence prior to 2009 to attacks on well guarded and heavily fortified targets such as the united nations compound in the nigerian. On tuesday, april 15, 2014, the terrorist organization boko haram attacked a girls school in chibok, borno state, in northern nigeria, abducting between 250300 young school girls. Effects of boko haram insurgency on religious cleavages in. Onuoha \ a danger not to nigeria alone boko harams transnational reach and regional responses. This attack came just days after the government of nigeria claimed there was a ceasefire with boko haram. June 12 several days of nighttime raids on six remote villages that left at least 37 people dead in northeastern nigeria.
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