Boko Haram Militants
Boko Haram is an extremist militant group in Nigeria. Nigerian Christian leaders have testified that thousands of both Christians and Muslims are on the run from the persecution and violence from Boko Haram militants. They have captured a major town and had several skirmishes with both the Nigerian and Cameroonian armies, leaving hundreds dead.
Fr. Patrick Tor Alumuku told Fides News Agency, "Boko Haram is determined to eliminate every sign of Christian presence and many churches have been destroyed or torched. Last week in a village in the area of Maiduguri, Boko Haram took over the parish for its local headquarters…Some are chiefs of villages and towns, others are Muslim religious leaders (Emirs) who cannot identify with what is being committed by Boko Haram."
BBC reported that Boko Haram has occupied the town of Michika in Nigeria. Their goal is to construct an Islamic state through Jihad. Traditionally, the militants tended to rely on hit-and-run tactics or guerilla warfare, but recently shifted to occupation strategies. Boko Haram has already captured several other towns to fight against the Nigerian government and turn the entire country into an Islamic State.
Though the militants are a great threat to the nation and particularly its civilians, the Nigerian government has been able to rather effectively retaliate against the terrorists. The Nigerian government forces reported that they had killed around 50 members of the militant group in a raid against the occupied town of Kawuri.
Meanwhile, Cameroon’s armed forces reported that they had killed an additional 100 Boko Haram terrorists in a skirmish in the northern part of the country (AFP). Their spokesman, Issa Tchiroma added that there were no casualties for the Cameroon forces.
Many watchdog organizations including International Christians Concern explained that Boko Haram has been waging war against not only the Nigerian government but African Christians for many years now. Cameron Thomas, the African regional manager for International Christians Concern explained that, "For years, Boko Haram has waged a campaign of terror against Christians, moderate Muslims, educators and students, and law enforcement and military personnel for the establishment of a separate Islamic state; which, today, they felt capable of declaring,"
Earlier last year, Boko Haram militants had raided a school and kidnapped around 300 school girls, many of them Christian. It is believed that the militants are selling the school girls to other warlords as wives or slaves. In response, Goodluck Jordan, the president of Nigeria personally visited the families of the kidnapped students to reassure them that the government will do everything in its power to bring the girls back. Even the U.S. agreed to dispatch military personnel to assist with locating the students.
