Background Information
“Boko Haram grew out of a group of radical Islamist youth who worshipped at the Al- Haji Muhammadu Ndimi Mosque in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, in the 1990s. Its leader, Mohammed Yusuf, began as a preacher and leader in the youth wing, Shababul Islam (Islamic Youth Vanguard), of Ahl-Sunnah, a Salafi group. […] Most accounts date the beginning of Boko Haram – its formal Arabic name is Jama’tu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet’s Teachings and Jihad) – to 2002, when it began to attract official attention.” (
ICG, 3 April 2014, p. 7)
“Ab 2003 militarisierte sich die Gruppe, rekrutierte Mitglieder und liefert sich seitdem Gefechte mit den nigerianischen Sicherheitskräften. Zur Eskalation der Gewalt führte die Tötung von mehr als 800 mutmaßlichen Boko Haram-Kämpfern im Juli 2009, die von den nigerianischen Sicherheitskräften zum Teil auf offener Straße hingerichtet wurden. Auch Mohammed Yusuf wurde gefangen genommen und in der Haft getötet. Unter ihrem neuen Führer Abubakar Shekau wurden die Angriffe häufiger und brutaler.“ (
AI, August 2014).
“Initially referred to as the Yusufiyya or Nigerian Taliban and later as Boko Haram, it also rejected all secular authority.” (
ICG, 3 April 2014, p. 9)
“[…] the group is more popularly known as Boko Haram (often translated as ‘Western education is forbidden’), a nickname given by local Hausa-speaking communities to describe the group’s view that Western education and culture have been corrupting influences that are haram (‘forbidden’) under its conservative interpretation of Islam.“ (
CRS, 29 July 2014, p.1)
Factions
“Ansaru, formally Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan (loosely translated as ‘Vanguards for the Protection of Muslims in Black Africa’), announced its existence on 1 January 2012, though it has been around much longer. It distanced itself from the rest of Boko Haram because it disapproved of its indiscriminate killings and Shekau’s lack of tact. At its core are sect members who, after the 2009 crackdown, fled to Somalia and Mali, where they joined and trained with Al-Shabaab and AQIM respectively.” (
ICG, 3 April 2014, p. 26)
“Since Boko Haram kidnapped more 250 girls from Chibok in Borno State on April 14, new signs have emerged that Ansaru – whose leaders were Nigerian members of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) – has reintegrated with Boko Haram and its former operatives are carrying out attacks in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region (for Ansaru, see Terrorism Monitor, January 10, 2013). In addition, a new faction connected to Boko Haram deployed a female suicide bomber to attack a fuel tanker at Apapa port in Lagos on June 25 (Sahara Reporters, June 26).” (
Jamestown Foundation, 25 July 2014)
Aims and activities of Boko Haram
“Importantly, it has concrete links with not only al-Qaeda, but a number of radical African Muslim jihadi groups as well. […] Boko Haram’s principal goal is to create a strict Islamic state in the north that it believes would address the ills of society, including corruption and bad governance. The sect’s core beliefs are strict adherence to the Quran and the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammed), and their interpretation as sanctioned by Ibn Taymiyyah (the preferred scholar of Mohammed Yusuf, the sect’s leader).” (
ICG, 3 April 2014, p. 9)
“The actions of Boko Haram have grown increasingly monstrous. The group has targeted some people simply because of their religion or professional occupation, and indiscriminately killed and maimed many others. They have burned down houses, churches, clinics and schools. They have murdered children in their beds. Some of its members are reported to have abducted and raped women and girls.” (
OHCHR, 14 March 2014)
“Die Islamisten greifen vor allem Polizeistationen und Sicherheitskräfte an und ermorden christliche und muslimische Geistliche, die sich ihnen entgegenstellen. Zunehmend werden auch Zivilisten Opfer von Anschlägen. Märkte, Busstationen, christliche Kirchen, Schulen, Zeitungsredaktionen oder Bars werden überfallen.“ (
AI, August 2014).
“As a result of the attack in Lagos, there are now three active zones of operation for Boko Haram: The border region between Borno State and northern Cameroon, where Boko Haram maintains a safe haven to train militants, hold hostages-for-ransom and launch attacks; The Middle Belt, where Boko Haram is carrying out nearly weekly bombings of churches, malls and government facilities; and Southern Nigeria, where a network of militants is emerging that likely includes Muslims from southern Nigerian ethnic groups.” (
Jamestown Foundation, 25 July 2014)
Main events in the past
“Its deadliest attacks include a coordinated series of bombings in Kano, northern Nigeria’s largest city, that killed more than 180 people in January 2012; an attack on the village of Benisheikh in September 2013 that killed more than 160 civilians; and an assault on another northeastern village, Gamboro, that may have killed as many as 300 people in early May 2014.” (
CRS, 29 July 2014, p. 4)
“Attacks since the beginning of 2014 by Boko Haram, the militant Islamist group, in over 40 villages in northeastern Nigeria, have displaced thousands of people. People forced to flee their homes are dispersed throughout Nigeria and in neighboring countries, where they face serious problems in accessing food, water, shelter, and other basic rights.” (
HRW, 14 March 2014)
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS
For a chronology from January 2012 to April 2013, see the following archived version of this featured topic:
www.ecoi.net/en/document/249669.
For a chronology from January 2013 to August 2014, see the following archived version of this featured topic:
www.ecoi.net/en/document/288191.
The following chronology contains events in reverse chronological order starting in April 2014:
SEPTEMBER 2014
“More than 260 Islamist militants have surrendered in north-eastern Nigeria, the military has said. Soldiers had also killed a man who featured in Boko Haram's propaganda videos pretending to be the group's leader Abubakar Shekau, it added.” (
BBC, 24 September 2014)
“Boko Haram militants have attacked a rural market in the north-east Nigerian town of Mainok, killing dozens of people, officials and witnesses say.” (
BBC, 20 September 2014)
“Boko Haram militants are in charge of at least 25 towns and villages in northeast Nigeria, the region's Roman Catholic bishop has claimed, warning of a deteriorating security situation. Bishop Oliver Dashe said 10 towns in Yobe state, the same number in Borno and five in Adawama had fallen to the rebels over the last month, as they seek to carve out a hardline Islamic state.” (
AFP, 18 September 2014)
“Gunmen have attacked a teacher training college in the Nigerian city of Kano, with officials saying at least 15 people have been killed. The attackers exchanged fire with police outside the college before running inside. Another 34 people were injured. 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.” (
BBC, 17 September 2014)
“Boko Haram insurgents attacked a market outside the key northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, local people who witnessed the incident told AFP on Saturday. About 50 gunmen on motorbikes stormed the weekly market in Ngom village, some 20 kilometres (12.5 miles) from the Borno state capital, at about 1:00 pm (1200 GMT) on Friday and opened fire, they said.” (
AFP, 13 September 2014)
“The Nigerian army says it has killed some 100 Boko Haram militants, after repelling an attack on a key town in north-eastern Borno state. Government forces reportedly seized vehicles and ammunition from insurgents while securing Konduga, 35km (22 miles) from the state capital Maiduguri, on Friday. The battle followed a warning by elders that Maiduguri was ‘surrounded’.”(
BBC, 13 September 2014)
“Nigeria's military launched ground and air offensives against Boko Haram to recapture the northeastern town of Michika that fell to the jihadist militants over the weekend, witnesses said on Wednesday. Hundreds of troops aided by military jets have been pounding Boko Haram positions in Michika in Adamawa state since Sunday, residents of nearby towns and villages told AFP.” (
AFP, 10 September 2014)
“Twenty Nigerian police officers are still missing three weeks after Boko Haram fighters attacked a training academy outside the remote northeastern town of Gwoza, the country's police chief said on Tuesday.” (
AFP, 9 September 2014)
“Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram has captured the key north-eastern town of Michika, residents say, gaining more territory in its efforts to create an Islamic state. People fled into bushes as gunfire rang out in the town, they added.” (
BBC, 8 September 2014)
“Panicked residents fled their homes in northeast Nigeria on Monday in fear of Boko Haram attacks while the military sought to recapture ground lost to the militants in recent weeks. The exodus from Mubi, the commercial hub of Adamawa state, began on Sunday after the insurgents seized Michika 42 kilometres (26 miles) away the day before, heightening fears of an impending strike.” (
AFP, 8 September 2014)
“Bodies remain littered on the streets of a northern Nigerian town two days after it was seized by militant Islamists, a lawmaker has told the BBC. Boko Haram fighters were patrolling the streets of Bama, preventing people from burying the dead, Ahmed Zanna said.” (
BBC, 4 September 2014)
“Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram has captured the town of Banki, which borders Cameroon, after government troops fled, residents say.” (
BBC, 3 September 2014)
“According to authorities, in the last ten days at least 9,000 people have arrived in Cameroon's Far North Region, more than 2,000 sought refuge in Niger, and more people continue to arrive. The new arrivals fled recurrent attacks in the past three weeks in the Gwoza area in Nigeria's Borno State, before reaching safety in Cameroon. […] However, even upon arrival in Cameroon, they are not necessarily out of harm's way. On Sunday, insurgents attacked Kerawa town inside Cameroon, forcing refugees and some local residents to flee further inland.” (
UNHCR, 2 September 2014)
“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.” (
BBC, 1 September 2014)
AUGUST 2014
“Sustained Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria's far northeast have forced thousands of people from their homes, swamping towns in the north of neighbouring Cameroon, authorities said on Sunday.” (
AFP, 31 August 2014)
“Boko Haram on Tuesday attempted to blow up a bridge on the Nigerian border with Cameroon after overrunning two towns and sending residents and soldiers fleeing, police and locals said.” (
AFP, 26 August 2014)
“Militant group Boko Haram has said it has set up an Islamic state in the towns and villages it has seized in north-eastern Nigeria. Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau was speaking in a video released to congratulate his fighters for seizing the town of Gwoza earlier this month.” (
BBC, 25 August 2014)
“Boko Haram has seized control of a town [Buni Yadi] in northeastern Nigeria, the latest to fall into Islamist hands in the crisis-hit region and an indication of the group's increasing territorial ambitions. The insurgents have tended to use hit-and-run attacks in the past but the recent seizure of towns suggests a significant shift in strategy, more in keeping with their stated goal of carving out a strict Islamic state in northeastern Nigeria.” (
AFP, 21 August 2014)
“Northern Nigeria's riot police training academy has been overrun by Boko Haram Islamist militants, a witness in Borno state has told the BBC.” (
BBC, 21 August 2014)
“A group of soldiers in north-eastern Nigeria is refusing to fight Islamist Boko Haram militants until they receive better equipment, one of the mutineers has told the BBC. The soldier, who requested anonymity, said at least 40 of his colleagues would refuse orders to deploy.” (
BBC, 19 August 2014)
“Suspected Boko Haram gunmen killed 10 people who had fled their homes to escape repeated attacks by the insurgents, after hunting them down in a nearby village, witnesses said on Monday. Residents of Krenuwa village fled to nearby communities after a Boko Haram raid last month that left seven dead and saw the extremists raze a military camp, police station and several homes.” (
AFP, 18 August 2014)
“Chadian troops have rescued around 85 Nigerians kidnapped by Boko Haram Islamists last weekend from fishing communities in Nigeria's extreme northeast, security and human rights sources said Saturday.” (
AFP, 16 August 2014)
“Residents of a Nigerian village on the shore of Lake Chad say at least 50 residents are missing after a raid by suspected Boko Haram militants. A witness told the BBC that 26 people were also killed during the raid on the village of Doron Baga on Sunday.” (
BBC, 15 August 2014)
“Hundreds of people who escaped a Boko Haram attack on their town [Gwoza] in Nigeria's restive north and fled to a nearby mountain said Saturday they were without any food.” (
AFP, 9 August 2014)
“Boko Haram gunmen attacked Nigeria's restive northeastern town of Gwoza on Wednesday leaving dozens dead, residents said, in the latest violence blamed on the Islamists.” (
AFP, 6 August 2014)
JULY 2014
“At least six people have been killed in a suicide bombing at a college in northern Nigeria's biggest city, Kano, witnesses say. The female bomber is reported to have blown herself up as students queued to check their names on an admission list.” (
BBC, 30 July 2014)
“Suicide bombers attacked two mosques in northeast Nigeria's Yobe state late Tuesday killing at least six people and injuring several others, witnesses told AFP blaming the Boko Haram Islamists.” (
AFP, 29 July 2014)
“Two blasts by female suicide bombers killed three people and injured 13 in Nigeria's Kano city on Monday, bringing the number of attacks this week in the area to five and overshadowing festivities marking the end of Ramadan.” (
AFP, 28 July 2014)
“Nigeria's northern city of Kano on Sunday cancelled celebrations to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan after two bomb attacks blamed on the Islamist group Boko Haram. At least five people were killed and eight were injured in a bomb attack on a Catholic church in a mainly Christian area of the city, the largest in Nigeria's north, police said.” (
AFP, 27 July 2014)
“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. […] Separately, at least five people in northern Nigeria were killed in a blast - residents suspect Boko Haram.” (
BBC, 27 July 2014)
“At least one person was killed and eight other people injured when a blast ripped through a crowded bus station in Kano, northern Nigeria, police and witnesses said on Thursday. The explosion happened at about 3:00pm (1400 GMT) at the New Motor Park in the predominantly Christian Sabon Gari neighbourhood, which has previously been targeted by Boko Haram militants.” (
AFP, 24 July 2014)
“Militant Islamists are suspected to have blown up a major bridge in north-eastern Nigeria, disrupting transport links with Cameroon, residents said.” (
BBC, 23 July 2014)
“Two explosions have ripped through the northern Nigerian city of Kaduna, killing at least 40 people, police say. […] No-one has claimed responsiblity for the twin attacks” (
BBC, 23 July 2014)
“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.” (
BBC, 21 July 2014)
“Boko Haram gunmen killed many people in an attack on the town of Damboa in the restive northeast, throwing explosives into residential homes and shooting dead civilians who tried to surrender, an official and witnesses said Friday.” (
AFP, 18 July 2014)
“The Islamist insurgency Boko Haram in Nigeria killed at least 2,053 civilians in an estimated 95 attacks during the first half of 2014. The figures are based on detailed analyses of media reports as well as field investigations.” (
AFP, 15 July 2014)
“At least 38 people were killed following a raid by suspected Islamist Boko Haram gunmen on a village in northeast Nigeria and a military aerial bombardment of fleeing residents mistaken for insurgents, villagers said Monday.” (
AFP, 14 July 2014)
“Suspected Boko Haram Islamists disguised in army uniforms killed seven people in an attack near the northeastern border with Cameroon, residents said Monday.” (
AFP, 7 July 2014)
“More than 60 women and girls abducted last month by suspected Boko Haram militants in northeast Nigeria have escaped their captors, sources said Sunday, but more than 200 schoolgirls are still being held by the Islamists.” (
AFP, 7 July 2014)
“Three women have been arrested in Nigeria for recruiting female members for the Islamist militant group, Boko Haram, the country's military says. The women are said to have targeted widows and young girls, promising them marriage to Boko Haram members. The militant group now has a female wing, the military says.” (
BBC, 4 July 2014)
“Nigeria's military says it has raided a Boko Haram intelligence unit thought to be linked to the recent abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls. The cell leader Babuji Ya'ari was arrested, a military statement said.” (
BBC, 1 July 2014)
“A truck exploded in a huge fireball killing at least 15 people on Tuesday in the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, the latest attack in the area repeatedly hit by Boko Haram Islamists.” (
AFP, 1 July 2014)
JUNE 2014
“Four villages in north-eastern Nigeria have been attacked by suspected Boko Haram militants who targeted at least one church. The bodies of at least 40 civilians and six militants have been recovered, a local vigilante has told the BBC. It is the latest assault on villages near Chibok, the town where more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted in April.” (
BBC, 29 June 2014)
“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.” (
AFP, 28 June 2014)
“A bomb attack on a busy shopping district in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, has killed at least 21 people and injured 52 more. […] Police say a suspect has been arrested. No group has claimed responsibility. Islamist militant group Boko Haram has bombed targets in Abuja and across northern Nigeria recently.” (
BBC, 25 June 2014)
“Unidentified gunmen killed 38 people, mostly women and children, in raids on two villages in northern Nigeria's Kaduna state, an area plagued by years of sectarian conflict, officials said Tuesday. The late Monday attacks targeted the remote villages of Fadan Karshi and Nandu in southern Kaduna, the head of the area's local government, Emmanuel Adamu Danzaria, told AFP.” (
AFP, 24 June 2014)
“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.” (
BBC, 24 June 2014)
“An explosion has struck a public health college in Nigeria's second city of Kano, in the north, killing at least eight people, police say. […] The city has been targeted in the past by the radical Islamist group Boko Haram, which aims to create an Islamic state in northern Nigeria.” (
BBC, 23 June 2014)
“At least 10 people were killed Saturday in raids by suspected Boko Haram gunmen on two villages near the town of Chibok where Islamists abducted more than 200 girls in April, residents and local leaders said.” (
AFP, 21 June 2014)
“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. […] 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. […] No group has said it was behind the latest blast.” (
AFP, 17 June 2014)
“Nigeria's military said on Tuesday that they had detained more than 460 people travelling from the country's north to the south, reportedly on suspicion of being Boko Haram members. Army spokesman Brigadier General Olajide Laleye said 462 people, including eight women, were held in southern Abia state on Monday as they headed on 36 buses from northern states such as Bauchi and Jigawa to Port Harcourt.” (
AFP, 17 June 2014)
“At least 15 people were killed when suspected Boko Haram gunmen stormed a market in northern Nigeria late on Sunday, witnesses and a security source said. Villagers in the farming community of Daku, in Borno state, described how they were surrounded by at least 20 gunmen who fired indiscriminately and threw petrol bombs, engulfing the market in flames.” (
AFP, 16 June 2014)
“Suspected Boko Haram militants have abducted at least 20 women close to where 200 schoolgirls were kidnapped in northern Nigeria, eyewitnesses say.” (
BBC, 10 June 2014)
“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.” (
BBC, 5 June 2014)
“Christian communities in the Gwoza Local Government Area (LGA) of Borno State, north east Nigeria are under sustained attack from the Islamist terror group, Boko Haram. Nine people died on 1 June when Boko Haram gunmen stormed the morning service of the Church of the Brethren (Ekklesiyar Yan'uwa a Nigeria, EYN,) in Attagara village, near Gwoza Town. […] Also on 1 June, sect members attacked Gwoshe Town in Gwoza, burning down two EYN churches and several homes and shops.” (
CSW, 5 June 2014)
“Four people were killed on Thursday near the home of a state governor in northeast Nigeria when a pick-up truck loaded with grain bags exploded, a government source told AFP. The blast happened at about 6:30 pm (1730 GMT) near the private residence of Gombe state governor Ibrahim Dankwambo in the upscale Government Reserve area of the state capital. […] It was not immediately clear if the explosion -- which was heard across the city -- was the handiwork of Boko Haram militants or politically motivated.” (
AFP, 5 June 2014)
“A bombing at a football pitch in Nigeria's restive northeast killed at least 40 people on Sunday in an area previously attacked by Boko Haram Islamists, a police officer and a nurse said. The blast hit the town of Mubi in Adamawa state, one of three in the northeast which has been under a state of emergency for more than a year as Nigeria's military has tried to crush Boko Haram's five-year extremist uprising.” (
AFP, 1 June 2014)
“A series of suspected Boko Haram attacks in four villages in Nigeria's restive northeast killed several people, residents said Sunday, in the latest violence blamed on the Islamist insurgents. […] All of the targeted villages are in the Gamboru Ngala district near the border with Cameroon, where Boko Haram killed hundreds in a gruesome attack earlier this month.” (
AFP, 1 June 2014)
MAY 2014
“A suspected Boko Haram attack on a military base and police station in northeastern Nigeria left at least 33 people dead, a security source told AFP on Wednesday. The source, who requested anonymity, said 18 soldiers and 15 police lost their lives in the assault in the town of Buni Yadi, in Yobe state, at about 8:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Monday.” (
AFP, 28 May 2014)
“Suspected Boko Haram gunmen attacked the military and police in the northeast Nigerian town of Buni Yadi, where the group massacred scores of students earlier this year, witnesses said on Tuesday.” (
AFP, 27 May 2014)
“At least 24 people were killed on Sunday when Boko Haram gunmen raided a village in northeast Nigeria, where the Islamists have stepped up deadly attacks on villages in recent months, residents told AFP. Dozens of motorcycle-riding gunmen stormed Kamuya village in Borno state after sunrise as locals were heading to the weekly market, opening fire on residents. […] On Wednesday suspected militant fighters killed 34 people in raids on four villages in two districts of Borno state, according to figures provided by residents.” (
AFP, 25 May 2014)
“Militants in Nigeria have raided three villages and killed those they accused of being anti-Boko Haram vigilantes, residents have told the BBC. More than 30 people were killed in the attacks overnight into Friday in north-eastern Borno state, they said.” (
BBC, 23 May 2014)
“Boko Haram gunmen killed more than 50 people in three separate attacks, including two near Chibok, the Nigerian town were the Islamists kidnapped more than 200 schoolgirls last month, witnesses said on Wednesday.” (
AFP, 21 May 2014)
“Multiple car bombs killed dozens Tuesday in the central Nigerian city of Jos, Plateau state, days after a security summit in France where African leaders committed to a ‘war’ on Nigeria’s Islamist rebels, Boko Haram. […] Casualty figures of the Jos bombing are not clear yet, but an emergency official told IPS that the toll is ‘very massive’. Some say as many as 200 people were killed because the attack occurred in a market. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack but it is suspected to be the work of Boko Haram.” (
IPS, 20 May 2014)
“A suicide blast in a street full of bars and restaurants in the northern Nigerian city of Kano has killed four people, police say. One of those killed was a girl aged 12, they say. Witnesses say the explosion was caused by a bomb in a car in the mainly Christian area of Sabon Gari. The area has previously been targeted by Boko Haram Islamist militants but it is the first attack on Nigeria's second biggest city for several months.” (
BBC, 19 May 2014)
“Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday ruled out the release of Boko Haram fighters in exchange for the freedom of more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the militants a month ago.” (
AFP, 14 May 2014)
“Residents of three villages in northern Nigeria have repelled an attack by suspected Boko Haram Islamist fighters, an eyewitness has told the BBC. About 200 of the militants were killed during the fighting in the Kala-Balge district of Borno state, he said. The witness said the residents had formed a vigilante group.” (
BBC, 14 May 2014)
“UNHCR is alarmed at the recent wave of attacks on civilians in northeast Nigeria. The brutality and frequency of these attacks is unprecedented. The past two months have seen multiple kidnappings and deaths, creating population displacement both inside Nigeria and into neighbouring countries.” (
UNHCR, 9 May 2014)
“Islamist fighters riding in armoured trucks and on motorcycles stormed Gamboru Ngala after midday on Monday. […] ‘The toll is very heavy. We believe there are more than 200 dead,’ the source [medical official] said, adding that 2,000 Nigerians, including soldiers had fled to Cameroon. […] In a fresh attack, suspected Boko Haram militants Wednesday killed seven people in Buji-Buji, also in Borno state, the village head, Mohammed Garba told journalists.” (
AFP, 7 May 2014)
“Suspected Boko Haram Islamist militants have abducted eight more girls in north-eastern Nigeria. The latest kidnapping happened on Sunday night in the village of Warabe, in Borno state. The girls taken were aged between 12 and 15. On Monday, Boko Haram's leader threatened to ‘sell’ more than 230 girls seized from their school, also in Borno, on 14 April.” (
BBC, 6 May 2014)
“A car bomb attack has killed at least 19 people and injured 60 more in the Nigerian capital Abuja, officials say.[…] No group has said it carried out Thursday's attack.” (
BBC, 2 May 2014)
APRIL 2014
“It has been a little more than two weeks since gunmen raided a school in northeastern Nigeria and kidnapped more than 200 teenage girls from their dormitories. Authorities aren't talking, as impatience mounts. Several hundred people marched in Abuja Wednesday to demand answers and ‘concrete and visible’ action from the federal government.” (
BBC, 30 April 2014)
“More than 40 insurgents and four soldiers died in clashes between Nigerian troops and Islamists near the scene where scores of abducted girls are believed to be held in the north of the country, the military said Friday.” (
AFP, 25 April 2014)
„Some 190 Nigerian schoolgirls remain missing after being abducted last week, their head teacher has told the BBC - far more than the official figure.”
(BBC, 21 April 2014)
“The leader of Nigeria's Boko Haram Islamists Abubakar Shekau claimed responsibility for a bombing in Nigeria's capital that killed at least 75 people, in a video message obtained by AFP on Saturday.” (
AFP, 19 April 2014)
“Nigeria's military has admitted that most of the teenage girls abducted by suspected Islamist militants have not been freed as it earlier stated.”
(BBC, 18 April 2014)
“Heavily armed Boko Haram Islamists kidnapped more than 100 girls from a school in northeast Nigeria, sparking a search by soldiers to track down the attackers, a security source and witnesses said Tuesday. The unprecedented mass abduction in Borno state came hours after a bomb blast ripped through a crowded bus station on the outskirts of Abuja, killing 75 people, the deadliest attack ever in Nigeria's capital.” (
AFP, 16 April 2014)
“Nigerian police boosted security across Abuja on Tuesday after a bomb blast ripped through a packed bus station killing at least 75 people, the deadliest attack ever to hit the capital.” (
AFP, 15 April 2014)
“Gunmen have killed 135 civilians in north east Nigeria since Wednesday, a senior official from the region has told the BBC. Borno state senator Ahmed Zannah said the killings took place in at least three separate attacks in the state.” (
BBC, 13 April 2014)
“Suspected Boko Haram Islamists have killed 19 people, including six college teachers, in three separate attacks in Nigeria's troubled northeastern Borno state, residents and travellers said Friday. The killings took place on Thursday and Friday in Dikwa, Kala-Balge towns and near Dalwa village in the state, the bastion of the Islamist sect, they said.” (
AFP, 11 April 2014)
“Scores of Islamist gunmen attacked a police station, a court and a bank in northern Nigeria on Wednesday, killing seven officers and a civilian, a police chief told AFP. The raid in the town of Gwaram in Jigawa state began at 1:00 am (0000 GMT) and sparked an hours-long shootout with the security forces, said Tamari Yabo, the assistant inspector-general of police in charge of the region. Boko Haram Islamists, waging a brutal insurgency which has killed thousands since 2009, have carried out dozens of attacks in surrounding areas, but Jigawa itself has been spared much of the violence.” (
AFP, 9 April 2014)
“Around 20 people may have died when gunmen attacked a mosque in Buni Gari village in Yobe State, north-eastern Nigeria, during the early hours of 5 April. The gunmen, believed to be members of the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram, are reported to have attacked Buni Gari just as villagers were gathering at the mosque for dawn prayers.” (
CSW, 7 April 2014)
“Boko Haram militants attacked a village in restive northern Nigeria, killing 17 people and setting houses and cars alight, the local government said Sunday. Among the dead were Muslim worshippers shot as they prayed in the village mosque, said Abdullahi Bego, spokesman for the governor of the troubled state of Yobe.” (
AFP, 6 April 2014)
“At least 15 civilians have been killed in a suicide bombing by suspected Islamist militants in north-east Nigeria, officials say. Six of the attackers also died in the explosion, which took place on the outskirts of the city of Maiduguri, a defence ministry spokesman said.” (
BBC, 1 April 2014)
SOURCES: (all links accessed at 14 October 2014)
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Boko Haram attack kills 17 in Nigeria, 6 April 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/boko-haram-attack-kills-17-nigeria
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Islamist gunmen kill eight in northern Nigeria attack, 9 April 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/islamist-gunmen-kill-eight-northern-nigeria-attack-police
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Suspected Islamists kill 19 in northern Nigeria: witnesses, 11 April 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/suspected-islamists-kill-19-northern-nigeria-witnesses
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Nigeria capital beefs up security after deadly bombing, 15 April 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/nigeria-capital-beefs-security-after-deadly-bombing
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Islamists abduct more than 100 girls from Nigeria school, 16 April 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/islamists-abduct-more-100-girls-nigeria-school
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Boko Haram leader claims Nigeria capital bombing, 19 April 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/boko-haram-leader-claims-nigeria-capital-bombing
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Dozens killed in clashes between Nigerian troops, Islamists: military, 25 April 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/dozens-killed-clashes-between-nigerian-troops-islamists-military
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: World powers join search for abducted Nigerian schoolgirls, 7 May 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/boko-haram-attack-kills-hundreds-nigeria-offers-reward-girls
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Nigeria's president rules out prisoner swap for missing girls, 14 May 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/nigerias-president-rules-out-prisoner-swap-missing-girls
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Boko Haram attacks kill more than 50 in Nigeria, 21 May 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/boko-haram-attacks-kill-more-50-nigeria
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Boko Haram kill 24 in Nigeria village raid: residents, 25 May 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/boko-haram-kill-24-nigeria-village-raid-residents
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Military, police hit in fresh Boko Haram attack, 27 May 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/military-police-hit-fresh-boko-haram-attack-witnesses (Accessed 10 June 2014)
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: At least 33 dead in Nigerian police, military base raid: source, 28 May 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/least-33-dead-nigerian-police-military-base-raid-source
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Bombing at northeast Nigeria football pitch kills at least 40, 1 June 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/bombing-northeast-nigeria-football-pitch-kills-least-40-police
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Boko Haram attack four villages in northeast Nigeria, 1 June 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/boko-haram-attack-four-villages-northeast-nigeria-residents
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Four dead in explosion near Nigerian governor's home, 5 June 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/four-dead-explosion-near-nigerian-governors-home
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Gunmen kill at least 15 in northern Nigerian market, 16 June 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/gunmen-kill-least-15-northern-nigerian-market
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Nigeria military detains 460 suspected of links to Boko Haram, 17 June 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/nigeria-military-detains-460-suspected-links-boko-haram
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: At least 10 dead in Boko Haram raids on Nigeria villages: local leaders, 21 June 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/least-10-dead-boko-haram-raids-nigeria-villages-local-leaders
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Gunmen kill 38 in north Nigeria's Kaduna state: officials, 24 June 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/gunmen-kill-38-north-nigerias-kaduna-state-officials
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Bomb hidden in truck kills at least 15 in embattled Nigerian city, 1 July 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/bomb-hidden-truck-kills-least-15-embattled-nigerian-city (Accessed 15 July 2014)
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Blast in northern Nigeria kills 10: police, 28 June 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/blast-northern-nigeria-kills-10-police
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Suspected Boko Haram Islamists kill 7 in northeast Nigeria, 7 July 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/suspected-boko-haram-islamists-kill-7-northeast-nigeria-witnesses
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: More than 60 women, girls escape abductors in Nigeria, 7 July 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/more-60-women-girls-escape-abductors-nigeria-security-source
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: At least 38 killed in raid on Nigerian village: residents, 14 July 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/least-38-killed-raid-nigerian-village-residents
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Boko Haram Islamists 'kill many' in northeast attack: local official, 18 July 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/boko-haram-islamists-kill-many-northeast-attack-local-official
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Blast rocks bus station in north Nigerian city of Kano: witnesses, 24 July 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/blast-rocks-bus-station-north-nigerian-city-kano-witnesses
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Two female suicide bombers kill 3, wound 13 in Nigeria's Kano, 28 July 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/police-foil-suicide-bombing-attempt-woman-kano
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Five dead in bombing of church in north Nigeria's Kano, 27 July 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/five-dead-bombing-church-north-nigerias-kano
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Suicide bombers kill at least six in Nigeria mosques: witnesses, 29 July 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/suicide-bombers-kill-least-six-nigeria-mosques-witnesses
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: 'Dozens' killed in Boko Haram attack in Nigeria: locals, 6 August 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/dozens-killed-boko-haram-attack-nigeria-locals
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Survivors of Boko Haram attack stranded on mountain with no food, 9 August 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/survivors-boko-haram-attack-stranded-mountain-no-food
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: 10 dead in Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria: witnesses, 18 August 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/10-dead-boko-haram-attacks-nigeria-witnesses
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Chadian troops 'rescue 85 Boko Haram hostages', 16 August 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/chadian-troops-rescue-85-boko-haram-hostages
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Boko Haram takes over another Nigeria town: witnesses, official, 21 August 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/boko-haram-takes-over-another-nigeria-town-witnesses-official
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Boko Haram seizes more towns in NE Nigeria as 'army flees', 26 August 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/boko-haram-seizes-more-towns-ne-nigeria-army-flees
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Thousands flee Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria for Cameroon: police, 31 August 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/cameroon/thousands-flee-boko-haram-attacks-nigeria-cameroon-police
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Thousands flee Nigeria town as Boko Haram capture more territory, 8 September 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/thousands-flee-nigeria-town-boko-haram-capture-more-territory
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Nigeria says 20 police still missing after Boko Haram attack, 9 September 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/nigeria-says-20-police-still-missing-after-boko-haram-attack
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Nigeria air and ground attacks to reclaim town from Boko Haram: witnesses, 10 September 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/nigeria-air-and-ground-attacks-reclaim-town-boko-haram-witnesses
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Boko Haram attack market in northeast Nigeria: witnesses, 13 September 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/boko-haram-attack-market-northeast-nigeria-witnesses
- AFP - Agence France-Presse: Boko Haram 'in charge of 25 towns' in NE Nigeria: bishop, 18 September 2014 (published by ReliefWeb)
http://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/boko-haram-charge-25-towns-ne-nigeria-bishop
- BBC News: Nigeria suicide attack 'kills 21' near Maiduguri, 1 April 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-26846272
- BBC News: Nigerian senator: '135 civilians killed' in attacks, 13 April 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27006876
- BBC News: Nigeria abductions: Military admits girls still missing, 18 April 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27078610
- BBC News: Chibok abductions in Nigeria: 'More than 230 seized', 21 April 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27101714
- BBC News: Nigeria girls' abduction: Protest march in Abuja, 30 April 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27216931
- BBC News: Abuja blast: Car bomb attack rocks Nigerian capital, 2 May 2014 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27249097
- BBC News: More Nigerian girls abducted by suspected Boko Haram militants, 6 May 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27298614
- BBC News: Nigerian village vigilantes 'repel Boko Haram attack', 14 May 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27412057
- BBC News: Nigeria's Boko Haram crisis: Kano suicide attack, 19 May 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27465113
- BBC News: Nigeria's Boko Haram 'targets village vigilantes', 23 May 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27547214
- BBC News: Nigeria Boko Haram crisis: '20 women abducted' in north, 10 June 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27774239
- BBC News: Nigeria's Boko Haram crisis: Maiduguri 'preachers kill dozens', 5 June 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27716898
- BBC News: Nigeria World Cup viewers hit by deadly bomb blast, 18 June 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27896257
- BBC News: Nigeria blast at Kano health college 'kills 8', 23 June 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27982795
- BBC News: Nigeria's Boko Haram 'seizes women' in Borno, 24 June 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27998502
- BBC News: Nigeria: Abuja bomb blast in Wuse district kills 21, 25 June 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28019433
- BBC News: Nigeria: 'Boko Haram' attack villages near Chibok, 29 June 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28080030
- BBC News: Nigeria 'raids Boko Haram cell linked to abductions', 1 July 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28102251
- BBC News: Boko Haram crisis: Nigeria arrests 'female recruiters', 4 July 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28168003
- BBC News: Nigeria's Boko Haram 'controls' Damboa in Borno , 21 July 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28406645
- BBC News: Nigeria's Boko Haram blamed for blowing up bridge , 23 July 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28441259
- BBC News: Nigeria's Kaduna hit by by deadly explosions, 23 July 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28447204
- BBC News: 'Boko Haram' abducts Cameroon politician's wife, 27 July 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28509530
- BBC News: Nigeria Kano blast: Boko Haram blamed for six deaths, 30 July 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28571037
- BBC News: Boko Haram suspected of abducting more than 50 Nigerian villagers, 15 August 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28809355
- BBC News: Boko Haram crisis: Nigerian soldiers 'mutiny over weapons', 19 August 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28855292
- BBC News: Boko Haram crisis: Nigeria militants 'seize police academy', 21 August 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28884665
- BBC News: Boko Haram declares 'Islamic state' in northern Nigeria, 25 August 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28925484
- BBC News: Nigeria's Boko Haram 'seize' Bama town in Borno, 1 September 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29021037
- BBC News: Nigeria's Boko Haram 'seize Banki town near Cameroon', 3 September 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29048394
- BBC News: Boko Haram crisis: 'Bodies litter' Nigeria's Bama town, 4 September 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29062004
- BBC News: Nigeria's Boko Haram 'seize' Michika in Adamawa state, 8 September 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29110663
- BBC News: Nigerian army 'repels' Boko Haram attack near Maiduguri, 13 September 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29190898
- BBC News: Boko Haram: Nigeria teacher training college attacked, 17 September 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29244107
- BBC News: Boko Haram 'kills dozens' in attack on Nigerian market, 20 September 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29297402
- BBC News: Boko Haram fighters 'surrender' as alleged chief killed, 24 September 2014 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29352927
- CRS - Congressional Research Service: Nigeria’s Boko Haram: Frequently Asked Questions, 20 May 2014
http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/227635.pdf
- CSW - Christian Solidarity Worldwide: 20 dead in attack on mosque in Yobe State, 7 April 2014
http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=press&id=1683&search=
- CSW - Christian Solidarity Worldwide: Christian Communities in Borno state targeted by Boko Haram, 5 June 2014
http://dynamic.csw.org.uk/article.asp?t=press&id=1711&search=
- HRW - Human Rights Watch: Nigeria: Boko Haram Attacks Cause Humanitarian Crisis, 14 March 2014 (available on ecoi.net)
http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/271868/400556_de.html
- HRW - Human Rights Watch: Nigeria: Boko Haram Kills 2,053 Civilians in 6 Months, 15 July 2014 (available on ecoi.net)
http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/280701/397626_en.html
- ICG - International Crisis Group: Curbing Violence in Nigeria (II): The Boko Haram Insurgency, 3 April 2014 (available on ecoi.net)
http://www.ecoi.net/file_upload/1226_1396951718_216-curbing-violence-in-nigeria-ii-the-boko-haram-insurgency.pdf (Accessed 23 September 2014)
- IPS - Inter Press Service - News Agency: Days After African Leaders Vow to Defeat Boko Haram, Bombings and Terror Continue, 20 May 2014
http://www.ipsnews.net/2014/05/days-african-leaders-vow-defeat-boko-haram-bombings-terror-continue/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=days-african-leaders-vow-defeat-boko-haram-bombings-terror-continue
- Jamestown Foundation: Boko Haram Opens New Fronts in Lagos and Nigeria’s Middle Belt; Terrorism Monitor Volume: 12 Issue: 15, 25 July 2014 (available on ecoi.net)
http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/282607/399744_en.html
- OHCHR - UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights: Remarks By The High Commissioner For Human Rights At A Press Conference During Her Mission To Nigeria, 14 March 2014 (available on ecoi.net)
http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/271987/387356_en.html
- UNHCR - UN High Commissioner for Refugees: Refugees fleeing attacks in north eastern Nigeria, UNHCR watching for new displacement, 9 May 2014 (available on ecoi.net)
http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/275877/391925_en.html
- UNHCR - UN High Commissioner for Refugees: Recent Attacks in Nigeria prompt new refugees to Cameroon, more continue to arrive, 2 September 2014 (available on ecoi.net)
http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/285681/403276_en.html
- USDOS - US Department of State: 2013 International Religious Freedom Report - Nigeria, 28 July 2014 (available on ecoi.net)
http://www.ecoi.net/local_link/281964/399059_en.html