At least 40 farmers were killed in an attack by the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram in Nigeria, an official said on Monday.
Fighters from Boko Haram and its breakaway group loyal to the Islamic State were suspected of attacking on Sunday, January 12, in Nigeria’s north-eastern Borno State, Information Commissioner Usman Tar said on Monday, January 13, 2025.
“Initial report indicates about 40 farmers have been killed, while the whereabouts of many who escaped the attack are being traced for reunion with their families,” Tar said.
Boko Haram began a violent campaign in northeast Nigeria in 2009 to introduce a strict Islamic theocracy in the West African nation.
More than 35,000 people have been killed in this conflict, while more than 2 million people have been displaced.
About Boko Haram
Boko Haram, officially known as Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād is a self-proclaimed jihadist terrorist organization based in northeastern Nigeria. The organization is also active in Chad, Niger, northern Cameroon, and Mali.
Founded by Mohammed Yusuf in 2002, the group was led by Abubakar Shekau from 2009 until his death in 2021, although it splintered into other groups after Yusuf’s death in 2009, as well as in 2015.
When the group was first formed, its main goal was to “purify,” meaning to spread Sunni Islam and destroy Shia Islam in northern Nigeria, believing jihad should be delayed until the group was strong enough to overthrow the Nigerian government.
The group formerly aligned itself with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The group has been known for its brutality. Since the insurgency started in 2009, Boko Haram has killed tens of thousands of people in frequent attacks against the police, armed forces, and civilians. It has resulted in the deaths of more than 300,000 children and has displaced 2.3 million from their homes.
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