Boko Haram continues to be a major threat to the security of Nigeria and its neighbours despite efforts made by the new Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to crush the group. Yesterday, the Islamists briefly seized control of a town in the far north of Cameroon which lies on the border with Nigeria. The incursion shows that the militants are still a formidable force able to mount an attack when they want. Of course, the militants withdrew when the army arrived, but that’s no consolation. A source close to the regional authorities said an unspecified number of civilians had been killed in the jihadists’ assault. Kerawa, which has 50,000 residents, is located in the Kolofata district, which has been regularly targeted by Boko Haram.
In other attacks, at least 55 people were killed and more than a hundred wounded yesterday in two bomb attacks at mosques in Nigeria’s restive northeast. Though noone claimed responsibility for the attacks, they carried the signs of the militant group. The first attack in Maiduguri happened in the morning in the Jidari area of the Borno state capital, where Boko Haram was founded in 2002. Nigerian officials said only six people were killed and 17 others injured, while hospital sources put the death toll at 19. Another explosion happened in Yola happened at the Jambutu Juma’at mosque in the Jimeta area of the city, shortly after the imam had finished his sermon. At least 27 people were killed in the blast at the newly-inaugurated mosque.
Reports say Buhari is making progress in his fight against Boko Haram. He has given his military commanders until December to end an insurgency that has left at least 17,000 people dead and more than 2.5 million homeless since 2009.It’s not easy to exterminate them in a couple of months as its network is strong and well-entrenched, and defeating it permanently would take strenuous and sustained efforts that can stretch into months. The attacks on mosques yesterday are seen as signs of weakness of the militant group. Since losing most of the territory it took over earlier this year to the Nigerian army, the militants are said to be taking comfort in in hitting soft targets such as markets, bus stations and mosques, as well as hit-and-run attacks on unarmed villagers. Such attacks are easy for militants but at the same time can create terror. Nigeria’s new leaders will have to work furiously to eliminate the entire network of this militant group, from the active to the passive, and these enemies must be targeted with a ruthlessness that is required in the fight against militancy.
Boko Haram continues to be a major threat to the security of Nigeria and its neighbours despite efforts made by the new Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to crush the group. Yesterday, the Islamists briefly seized control of a town in the far north of Cameroon which lies on the border with Nigeria. The incursion shows that the militants are still a formidable force able to mount an attack when they want. Of course, the militants withdrew when the army arrived, but that’s no consolation. A source close to the regional authorities said an unspecified number of civilians had been killed in the jihadists’ assault. Kerawa, which has 50,000 residents, is located in the Kolofata district, which has been regularly targeted by Boko Haram.
In other attacks, at least 55 people were killed and more than a hundred wounded yesterday in two bomb attacks at mosques in Nigeria’s restive northeast. Though noone claimed responsibility for the attacks, they carried the signs of the militant group. The first attack in Maiduguri happened in the morning in the Jidari area of the Borno state capital, where Boko Haram was founded in 2002. Nigerian officials said only six people were killed and 17 others injured, while hospital sources put the death toll at 19. Another explosion happened in Yola happened at the Jambutu Juma’at mosque in the Jimeta area of the city, shortly after the imam had finished his sermon. At least 27 people were killed in the blast at the newly-inaugurated mosque.
Reports say Buhari is making progress in his fight against Boko Haram. He has given his military commanders until December to end an insurgency that has left at least 17,000 people dead and more than 2.5 million homeless since 2009.It’s not easy to exterminate them in a couple of months as its network is strong and well-entrenched, and defeating it permanently would take strenuous and sustained efforts that can stretch into months. The attacks on mosques yesterday are seen as signs of weakness of the militant group. Since losing most of the territory it took over earlier this year to the Nigerian army, the militants are said to be taking comfort in in hitting soft targets such as markets, bus stations and mosques, as well as hit-and-run attacks on unarmed villagers. Such attacks are easy for militants but at the same time can create terror. Nigeria’s new leaders will have to work furiously to eliminate the entire network of this militant group, from the active to the passive, and these enemies must be targeted with a ruthlessness that is required in the fight against militancy.
