Overview
Also known as:
- Islamic State's West Africa Province (Iswap)Adam Withnall, “Boko Haram renames itself Islamic State's West Africa Province (Iswap) as militants launch new offensive against government forces,” Independent (London), April 26, 2015, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/boko-haram-renames-itself-islamic-states-west-africa-province-iswap-as-militants-launch-new-offensive-against-government-forces-10204918.html.
- Jama’atu Ahlis Sunnar Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad Mohammed Aly Sergie and Toni Johnson, “Backgrounders: Boko Haram,” Council on Foreign Relations, May 5, 2014, http://www.cfr.org/nigeria/boko-haram/p25739.
- Nigerian TalibanGeorge Gorman, “Nigerian Taliban leader killed in custody,” Long War Journal, July 31, 2009, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2009/07/nigerian_taliban_lea.php.
- Wilayat Gharb IfriqiyyaKarl Morand, “Jihadology Podcast: ‘Boko Haram’ Transitions to The Islamic State in West Africa with Jacob Zenn,” Jihadology, August 4, 2015, http://jihadology.net/category/the-islamic-state/wilayat-gharb-ifriqiyyah/.
Executive Summary:
Boko Haram is an ISIS-aligned jihadist group based in northeastern Nigeria, also active in Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.“Chapter 6. Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” U.S. Department of State, accessed October 2016, https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2015/257523.htm. The group promotes a Salafist-jihadist brand of Islam and seeks to establish a caliphate, or Islamic state, in Nigeria.“Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Adds Boko Haram to Its Sanctions List,” United Nations Security Council, May 22, 2014, http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11410.doc.htm;
Mohammed Aly Sergie, and Toni Johnson, “Boko Haram,” Council on Foreign Relations, last modified March 5, 2015, http://www.cfr.org/nigeria/boko-haram/p25739. To achieve this goal, the group has carried out large-scale attacks inside Nigeria, including an attack on the U.N. headquarters in Abuja in 2011,Ibrahim Mshelizza, “Islamist sect Boko Haram claims Nigerian U.N. bombing,” Reuters, August 29, 2011, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-bombing-claim-idUSTRE77S3ZO20110829. the abduction of nearly 300 schoolgirls in April 2014,Kevin Sieff, “Boko Haram kidnapped 276 girls two years ago. What happened to them?,” Washington Post, April 14, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/04/14/boko-haram-kidnapped-276-girls-two-years-ago-what-happened-to-them/. and the multi-day massacre of the northern town of Baga and surrounding villages in January 2015 that killed approximately 2,000 civilians.Amina Abubakar and Faith Karimi, “2,000 feared killed in 'deadliest' Boko Haram attack in Nigeria,” CNN, January 12, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/09/africa/boko-haram-violence/;
“Nigeria's Boko Haram: Baga destruction ‘shown in images,’” BBC News, January 15, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30826582.
As noted by the U.N. Security Council, Boko Haram has maintained ties to al-Qaeda’s North African branch, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Various Boko Haram members trained and fought alongside AQIM in Mali before returning to Nigeria.Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Adds Boko Haram to Its Sanctions List,” United Nations Security Council, May 22, 2014, http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11410.doc.htm. In March 2015, however, longtime Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau pledged allegiance to ISIS on behalf of the Nigerian terror group.“Islamic State 'accepts' Boko Haram's allegiance pledge,” BBC News, March 13, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31862992. In August 2016, following months of mounting tension between Shekau and ISIS leadership, ISIS unilaterally announced a replacement for Shekau, Abu Musab al-Barnawi, though Shekau refused to cede authority to the new leader. Boko Haram militants have subsequently been divided in their loyalties to Shekau and Barnawi, with the two factions occasionally engaging in clashes, resulting in the death of several of Shekau’s associates.“Boko Haram breaks up ,” Economist, August 11, 2016, http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21704917-militants-divide-over-murder-muslims-boko-haram-breaks-up;
Agence France-Presse, “Rival Boko Haram groups clash in NE Nigeria: sources,” Daily Mail (London), September 7, 2016, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3777612/Rival-Boko-Haram-groups-clash-NE-Nigeria-sources.html;
Adam Withnall, “Boko Haram descends into in-fighting as reports emerge of deadly clashes between rival Islamist factions,” Independent (London), September 8, 2016, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/boko-haram-descends-into-in-fighting-as-reports-emerge-of-deadly-clashes-between-rival-islamist-a7231726.html.
Boko Haram was founded in 2002 in Maiduguri, Nigeria, by a Salafist cleric named Mohammed Yusuf. Although Yusuf called for the establishment of an Islamic state in Nigeria, at the time he did not pursue violence as a means to achieve it.Mohammed Aly Sergie, and Toni Johnson, “Boko Haram,” Council on Foreign Relations, last modified March 5, 2015, http://www.cfr.org/nigeria/boko-haram/p25739. That approach changed in 2009, when Boko Haram members took up violence in response to a Nigerian government crackdown and the killing of its leader.George Gorman, “Nigerian Taliban leader killed in custody,” Long War Journal, July 31, 2009, http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2009/07/nigerian_taliban_lea.php;
Mohammed Aly Sergie, and Toni Johnson, “Boko Haram,” Council on Foreign Relations, last modified March 5, 2015, http://www.cfr.org/nigeria/boko-haram/p25739;
“Boko Haram attacks – timeline,” Guardian (London), September 25, 2012, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/sep/25/boko-haram-timeline-nigeria. Boko Haram has since launched paramilitary campaigns targeting the Nigerian government and its neighbors as well as dozens of terrorist attacks, increasingly perpetrated by child suicide bombers.Mohammed Aly Sergie, and Toni Johnson, “Boko Haram,” Council on Foreign Relations, last modified March 5, 2015, http://www.cfr.org/nigeria/boko-haram/p25739;
Camila Domonoske, “Boko Haram Increasingly Using Children In 'Suicide' Attacks, UNICEF Says,” NPR, April 12, 2016, http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/12/473920159/boko-haram-increasingly-using-children-in-suicide-attacks-unicef-says. In addition, the fluid security situation in and around Nigeria has enabled militants to cross into Cameroon, Chad, and Niger, in order to evade Nigerian security forces and carry out regional attacks.“Chapter 6. Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” U.S. Department of State, accessed October 2016, https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2015/257523.htm. The terror group has been responsible for the death of approximately 20,000 people since 2009.“Nigeria Security Tracker,” Council on Foreign Relations, accessed October 17, 2016, http://www.cfr.org/nigeria/nigeria-security-tracker/p29483.
Though originally an underground movement, Boko Haram has seized and held land in northeastern Nigeria in order to realize its vision of an Islamic state. Between 2011 and 2015, the group captured territory roughly the size of Belgium. Since 2015, the Nigerian military has dislodged Boko Haram from almost all of the territory it previously controlled.John Campbell, “What Makes Boko Haram Run?,” Council on Foreign Relations, May 5, 2016, http://www.cfr.org/nigeria/makes-boko-haram-run/p37838;
David Blair, “Boko Haram is now a mini-Islamic State, with its own territory,” Telegraph (London), January 10, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/nigeria/11337722/Boko-Haram-is-now-a-mini-Islamic-State-with-its-own-territory.html. As of January 2017, however, the group continues to hold swathes of territory in northeastern Nigeria, including the towns of Baga, Bama, Gwoza, and Gulani, and their environs.“Map: Boko Haram territory in Nigeria,” Telegraph, January 31, 2017, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/nigeria/11339781/Map-Boko-Haram-territory-in-Nigeria.html.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari prematurely declared victory against Boko Haram in December 2015, though the announcement was followed by successive suicide bombings perpetrated by the terror group in the country’s northeast.“We have defeated Boko Haram, December deadline met, Nigeria says,” Premium Times (Abuja), Decmeber 23, 2015, http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/195668-we-have-defeated-boko-haram-december-deadline-met-nigeria-says-2.html;
Conor Gaffey, “Buhari’s Boko Haram Deadline in Doubt After Attacks Kill Almost 50,” Newsweek, December 29, 2015, http://www.newsweek.com/buharis-boko-haram-deadline-doubt-after-attacks-kill-almost-50-409609. The group has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the United Nations, and the European Union.“Terrorist Designations of Boko Haram and Ansaru,” U.S. Department of State, November 13, 2013, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2013/11/217509.htm;
“Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee Adds Boko Haram to Its Sanctions List,” United Nations Security Council, May 22, 2014, http://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11410.doc.htm;
Official Journal of the European Union, Volume 57, May 29, 2014, http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L:2014:160:FULL&from=EN.
Doctrine:
Boko Haram subscribes to a Salafist-jihadist ideology. Before rebranding as the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (Wilayat Gharb Ifriqiya) in March 2015,Alex Thurston, “‘The disease is unbelief’: Boko Haram’s religious and political worldview,” The Brookings Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World 22, no. 58, January 2016, 9, https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Brookings-Analysis-Paper_Alex-Thurston_Final_Web.pdf. the group commonly referred to itself as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunnar Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad, which broadly translates to “people committed to the propagation of the Prophet’s teachings and jihad.”Mohammed Aly Sergie and Toni Johnson, “Boko Haram,” Council on Foreign Relations, May 5, 2014, http://www.cfr.org/nigeria/boko-haram/p25739. Boko Haram—the name given to the group by the Hausa-speaking residents in northeast Nigeria—translates to “Western education is sin.”“Who, What, Why: Exactly what does the phrase Boko Haram mean?,” BBC News, May 13, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-27390954.
Like other Salafist groups, Boko Haram seeks to exemplify the community of Muslims (salafs, or ancestors) who lived during and immediately after the time of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.“Salafi,” Oxford Islamic Studies Online, accessed October 2016, http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e2072;
Alex Thurston, “‘The disease is unbelief’: Boko Haram’s religious and political worldview,” The Brookings Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World 22, no. 58, January 2016, 9, https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Brookings-Analysis-Paper_Alex-Thurston_Final_Web.pdf. The group’s founder, Mohammed Yusuf, trained as a Salafist preacher and adhered to the teachings of Ibn Taymiyya, a 14th century scholar who preached tenets of Islamic fundamentalism.Mohammed Aly Sergie and Toni Johnson, “Boko Haram,” Council on Foreign Relations, May 5, 2014, http://www.cfr.org/nigeria/boko-haram/p25739;
Alex Thurston, “‘The disease is unbelief’: Boko Haram’s religious and political worldview,” The Brookings Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World 22, no. 58, January 2016, 9, https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Brookings-Analysis-Paper_Alex-Thurston_Final_Web.pdf. Following Yusuf’s death in 2009, the group took up the practice of takfir, whereby a Muslim is able to excommunicate and kill other Muslims whom they deem to be non-believers. In defending the right to kill his “non-believing” coreligionists, Shekau has claimed that a nonbeliever’s supposed “ignorance” of Boko Haram’s tenets should not be “taken into consideration” before killing him.Alex Thurston, “‘The disease is unbelief’: Boko Haram’s religious and political worldview,” The Brookings Project on U.S. Relations with the Islamic World 22, no. 58, January 2016, 9, 14, https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Brookings-Analysis-Paper_Alex-Thurston_Final_Web.pdf.
Because of the group’s decentralized structure, not all fighters necessarily follow Salafi-takfirist doctrine.Mohammed Aly Sergie and Toni Johnson, “Boko Haram,” Council on Foreign Relations, May 5, 2014, http://www.cfr.org/nigeria/boko-haram/p25739. Indeed, many members may be non-religious individuals motivated by real and perceived grievances including failures of local governance, sectarian tensions between Christians and Muslims, and the large economic disparity in Nigeria.Lauren Ploch, “Nigeria: Current issues and U.S. policy,” Congressional Research Service, November 15, 2013, http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc272109/m1/1/high_res_d/RL33964_2013Nov15.pdf, 13;
Mohammed Aly Sergie and Toni Johnson, “Boko Haram,” Council on Foreign Relations, May 5, 2014, http://www.cfr.org/nigeria/boko-haram/p25739. Nonetheless, a strain within Boko Haram adheres to violent and extremist practices that even ISIS has at times deemed too brutal.Max Siollun, “The Jihadi Too Violent for ISIS,” Foreign Policy, October 3, 2016, http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/10/03/the-jihadist-too-violent-for-isis-boko-haram-shekau/.
Some analysts have suggested that in recent years, the group has fragmented between factions stressing the need to build stronger links with international terrorist organizations and factions that seek to maintain the group’s exclusively domestic focus with the aim of establishing an Islamic state in Nigeria.Lauren Ploch, “Nigeria: Current issues and U.S. policy,” Congressional Research Service, November 15, 2013, http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc272109/m1/1/high_res_d/RL33964_2013Nov15.pdf, 13. In March 2015, Shekau pledged allegiance to ISIS on behalf of his terror group. ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi accepted the pledge later that month.“Islamic State 'accepts' Boko Haram's allegiance pledge,” BBC News, March 13, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31862992.
Organizational Structure:
Boko Haram is a fractious terrorist group with a decentralized organizational structure. Below the group’s leader sits the Shura Council, a 30-member decision-making body that commands the group’s regional cells. These cells differ by location and tactical specialization, ranging from combat troops, explosives experts, welfare service providers, intelligence and surveillance, and a medical committee.“Nigeria: Examining Boko Haram,” Stratfor, July 15, 2014, https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/nigeria-examining-boko-haram;
“Chapter 6. Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” U.S. Department of State, accessed October 2016, https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2015/257523.htm.
While its core fighters are believed to number in the low hundreds, thousands of locals may sympathize with and fight for the terror group. The U.S. State Department has estimated that there are at least several thousand troops fighting for Boko Haram as of 2015.“Nigeria: Examining Boko Haram,” Stratfor, July 15, 2014, https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/nigeria-examining-boko-haram;
“Chapter 6. Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” U.S. Department of State, accessed October 2016, https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2015/257523.htm. Due in part to counterterrorism efforts under President Buhari—as well as severe food shortages in northeast Nigeria—this number is believed to have fallen throughout 2016 and early 2017.David McDougall, “Far from finished,” VICE News, November 3, 2016, https://news.vice.com/story/boko-haram-is-weakened-but-far-from-defeated;
Dionne Searcey, “Boko Haram Falls Victim to a Food Crisis it Created,” New York Times, March 4, 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/05/world/africa/boko-haram-food-crisis.html?_r=0. In December 2016, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said that Boko Haram likely lost a “significant number of fighters…lessening the overall capability of the organization.” Nevertheless, AFRICOM estimated that the group still has a “few thousand members.”John Vandiver, “AFRICOM: Boko Haram weakened in 2016 but still a threat,” Stars and Stripes, December 30, 2016, https://www.stripes.com/news/africom-boko-haram-weakened-in-2016-but-still-a-threat-1.446689. Evidently not included in these estimates are the approximately 10,000 boys reportedly abducted and trained by Boko Haram between 2014 and 2016.Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson, “The 10,000 Kidnapped Boys of Boko Haram,” Wall Street Journal, August 12, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-kidnapped-boys-of-boko-haram-1471013062.
Boko Haram was founded and led by Salafist preacher Mohammed Yusuf until his death by the Nigerian military in 2009.“Curbing violence in Nigeria (II): The Boko Haram insurgency," International Crisis Group, Africa Report No 216, April 3, 2014, https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/west-africa/nigeria/curbing-violence-nigeria-ii-boko-haram-insurgency. Abubakar Shekau emerged as the group’s leader in July 2010,“Profile: Boko Haram,” Al Jazeera, December 31, 2010, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2010/12/2010123115425609851.html. and became known for ordering attacks on mosques and using children as suicide bombers.Conor Gaffey, “What We Know About Boko Haram’s Factional War,” Newsweek, September 8, 2016, http://www.newsweek.com/boko-haram-isis-abubakar-shekau-abu-musab-al-barnawi-496615. In early 2012, a group calling itself Ansaru, or “The Vanguard for the Protection of Muslims in Black Africa,” broke away from Boko Haram after citing disagreements with the group’s indiscriminate killing of Muslim civilians.“Boko Haram : Splinter group, Ansaru emerges,” Vanguard (Lagos), February 1, 2012, http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/02/boko-haram-splinter-group-ansaru-emerges/;
Conor Gaffey, “What is Ansaru, the Other Militant Islamist Group in Nigeria Besides Boko Haram?,” Newsweek, April 4, 2016, http://www.newsweek.com/what-ansaru-nigerias-other-militant-group-443785. The offshoot reportedly packaged itself as the “humane” alternative to Boko Haram, and said it would focus attacks on Christians and the Nigerian government.“Proscribed Terrorist Organizations,” U.K. Home Office, accessed October 2016, 8, https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/538297/20160715-Proscription-website-update.pdf. Its leader, Khalid al-Barnawi, is believed to have previously trained with al-Qaeda’s regional affiliate, AQIM.Jacob Zenn, “Ansaru: Who Are They And Where Are They From?,” Council on Foreign Relations, July 1, 2013, http://blogs.cfr.org/campbell/2013/07/01/ansaru-who-are-they/. When Ansaru was designated by the United Kingdom in November 2012, the Home Office referred to the group as “broadly aligned with [al-Qaeda].”“Proscribed Terrorist Organizations,” U.K. Home Office, accessed October 2016, 8, https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/538297/20160715-Proscription-website-update.pdf.
Analysts have suggested that Boko Haram and Ansaru remain operationally linked. Security analyst Jacob Zenn has said that Ansaru acts as an “external operations unit” of Boko Haram,Jacob Zenn, “Leadership Analysis of Boko Haram and Ansaru in Nigeria,” Combating Terrorism Center, February 24, 2014, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/leadership-analysis-of-boko-haram-and-ansaru-in-nigeria. while analyst David Otto has said that the two groups work together “towards a common goal.”Ludovica Iaccino, “Boko Haram splits as Abubakar Shekau and Abu Musab al-Barnawi fight for leadership,” International Business Times, August 4, 2016, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/boko-haram-splits-abubakar-shekau-abu-musab-al-barnawi-fight-leadership-1574271. Zenn has also suggested that in working alongside Boko Haram, Ansaru’s militants have prioritized operational success over ideological disputes with Abubakar Shekau.Jacob Zenn, “Northern Cameroon Under Threat from Boko Haram and Séléka Militants,” Jamestown Foundation, January 9, 2014, https://jamestown.org/program/northern-cameroon-under-threat-from-boko-haram-and-seleka-militants/#. Nigerian authorities reportedly captured Ansaru’s leader Khalid al-Barnawi in April 2016.“Khalid al-Barnawi: Nigeria Islamist group head 'arrested',” BBC News, April 3, 2016, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35956301. According to a September 2016 report by Jacob Zenn, Ansaru has been relatively “quiet,” though Nigerian security reports indicate that the group is still active.Jacob Zenn, “Making sense of Boko Haram’s different factions: Who, how and why?,” African Arguments, September 20, 2016, http://africanarguments.org/2016/09/20/making-sense-of-boko-harams-different-factions/.
In August 2016—nearly a year and a half after Boko Haram pledged allegiance to ISIS under Shekau—the Nigerian terror group split into warring factions: one loyal to Shekau, and the other to ISIS-appointed leader Abu Musab al-Barnawi.“Boko Haram breaks up ,” Economist, August 11, 2016, http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21704917-militants-divide-over-murder-muslims-boko-haram-breaks-up;
“Hearing to Consider the Nominations of: Lieutenant General Thomas D. Waldhauser, USMC, to be General and Commander, United States Africa Command; and Lieutenant General Joseph L. Lengyel, Ang, to be General and Chief of the National Guard Bureau,” Committee on Armed Services, June 21, 2016, 64-65, http://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/16-62_06-21-16.pdf. The split came after ISIS announced Barnawi’s appointment on August 2nd,قطـع طريـق إمـداد الرافضـة إلـى معسـكر القيارة,” al-Naba, August 2, 2016, 8, https://azelin.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/the-islamic-state-e2809cal-nabacc84_-newsletter-4122.pdf. and Shekau swiftly released an audio message in which he denied the leadership change and referred to ISIS’s announcement as a coup.Associated Press, “Abubakar Shekau says he still leads Boko Haram,” USA Today, August 4, 2016, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/08/04/shekau-boko-haram-islamic-state/88071714/;
“Isis tries to impose new leader on Boko Haram in Nigeria,” Guardian (London), August 4, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/05/isis-tries-to-impose-new-leader-on-boko-haram-in-nigeria. Shekau nonetheless reportedly reaffirmed his pledge of allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, referring to Baghdadi in subsequent audio recordings as “caliph.”Conor Gaffey, “Boko Haram’s Abubakar Shekau Rejects New Leader, Suggesting Split with ISIS,” Newsweek, August 4, 2016, http://www.newsweek.com/boko-harams-abubakar-shekau-rejects-new-leader-suggesting-split-isis-487143;
Jacob Zenn, “Making sense of Boko Haram’s different factions: Who, how and why?,” African Arguments, September 20, 2016, http://africanarguments.org/2016/09/20/making-sense-of-boko-harams-different-factions/. The two factions were reported to have clashed in the following months, resulting in the death of several of Shekau’s associates.Agence France-Presse, “Rival Boko Haram groups clash in NE Nigeria: sources,” Daily Mail (London), September 7, 2016, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3777612/Rival-Boko-Haram-groups-clash-NE-Nigeria-sources.html;
Adam Withnall, “Boko Haram descends into in-fighting as reports emerge of deadly clashes between rival Islamist factions,” Independent (London), September 8, 2016, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/boko-haram-descends-into-in-fighting-as-reports-emerge-of-deadly-clashes-between-rival-islamist-a7231726.html.
The August 2016 split followed months of growing tension within Boko Haram’s ranks. In June 2016, U.S. Marine Lieutenant General Thomas Waldhauser told the senate that several months earlier, “about half” of Boko Haram’s militants had split from Shekau due to his alleged failure to adhere to ISIS’s counsel. According to Waldhauser, Shekau had not obeyed ISIS’s orders to stop attacking other Muslims, and to cease using children as suicide bombers.“Hearing to Consider the Nominations of: Lieutenant General Thomas D. Waldhauser, USMC, to be General and Commander, United States Africa Command; and Lieutenant General Joseph L. Lengyel, Ang, to be General and Chief of the National Guard Bureau,” Committee on Armed Services, June 21, 2016, 64-65, http://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/16-62_06-21-16.pdf.
Boko Haram has long been a fractious organization composed of various factions and offshoots. As of 2017, the largest divide exists between those loyal to Shekau and those loyal to Barnawi. Another bloc, led by longtime Boko Haram and Ansaru member Mamman Nur, is believed to support ISIS, though Nur has a reported history of operational closeness with AQIM.Jacob Zenn, “Making sense of Boko Haram’s different factions: Who, how and why?,” African Arguments, September 20, 2016, http://africanarguments.org/2016/09/20/making-sense-of-boko-harams-different-factions/;
“12 January 2017, Briefing to the Security Council on the situation in the Lake Chad Basin region by Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Taye-Brook Zerihoun,” United nations, accessed February 3, 2017, http://www.un.org/undpa/es/node/183840.
Financing:
In the early 2000s, Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf reportedly received funding from Osama bin Laden, who distributed $3 million to Nigerian Salafi groups.“Curbing violence in Nigeria (II): The Boko Haram insurgency,” International Crisis Group, Africa Report No 216, April 3, 2014, https://www.crisisgroup.org/africa/west-africa/nigeria/curbing-violence-nigeria-ii-boko-haram-insurgency;
Robin Simcox, “Boko Haram and defining the ‘al Qaeda network,’” Al Jazeera, June 6, 2014, http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/06/boko-haram-al-qaeda-201463115816142554.html. Today, Boko Haram is believed to rely on a combination of local funding sources and lucrative criminal activity, particularly kidnapping for ransom. Its members have kidnapped foreigners and wealthy Nigerians since early 2013. The group has also reportedly received $3.15 million from French and Cameroonian negotiators in exchange for a French family the group abducted from northern Cameroon in February of that year. U.S. officials have estimated that Boko Haram receives approximately $1 million for the kidnapping and release of each wealthy Nigerian it abducts.Phil Stewart & Lesley Wroughton, “How Boko Haram is beating U.S. efforts to choke its financing,” Reuters, July 1, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/01/us-usa-nigeria-bokoharam-insight-idUSKBN0F636920140701;
Jacob Zenn, “Boko Haram’s Evolving Tactics and Alliances in Nigeria,” Combating Terrorism Center, June 25, 2013, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/boko-harams-evolving-tactics-and-alliances-in-nigeria.
Boko Haram is also believed to finance itself through bank robberies, protection money from local governors, and foreign donations.Peter Weber, “Who’s financing Boko Haram?” The Week, May 12, 2014, http://theweek.com/article/index/261388/whos-financing-boko-haram. It is suspected that the group also receives funding from local religious sympathizers and individuals opposing the Nigerian government.Phil Stewart & Lesley Wroughton, “How Boko Haram is beating U.S. efforts to choke its financing,” Reuters, July 1, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/01/us-usa-nigeria-bokoharam-insight-idUSKBN0F636920140701. Some security analysts have noted that Boko Haram may be less reliant on large funding streams because it does not purchase sophisticated weaponry and runs low-cost operations.Phil Stewart & Lesley Wroughton, “How Boko Haram is beating U.S. efforts to choke its financing,” Reuters, July 1, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/01/us-usa-nigeria-bokoharam-insight-idUSKBN0F636920140701.
The group has received limited funding from AQIM, but that support has reportedly had little impact on Boko Haram’s overall funding. Since the group pledged allegiance to ISIS in March 2015, this source of funding may have dried up, given the enmity and competition between al-Qaeda and ISIS. Boko Haram’s financial relationship with other extremist groups also appears limited.Associated Press, “76 Hungry Boko Haram Members Surrender,” U.S. News, March 2, 2016, http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2016-03-02/76-hungry-boko-haram-members-surrender-to-nigerian-military. In 2016, reports emerged of starving Boko Haram members surrendering to Nigerian security forces, indicating that the group was continuing to suffer from major financial strains.Associated Press, “76 Hungry Boko Haram Members Surrender,” U.S. News, March 2, 2016, http://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2016-03-02/76-hungry-boko-haram-members-surrender-to-nigerian-military.
Recruitment:
Nigerians are likely to join Boko Haram for a variety of reasons. Among these motivations are belief in the group’s religious ideology, coercion tactics by Boko Haram soldiers, and local grievances, which may include insufficient access to government employment opportunities and other basic services, as well as humanitarian rights abuses such as unlawful arrests and torture. Recruits may also be drawn to join the group due to familial ties to other members.Jacob Zenn, “Boko Haram Recruitment Strategies,” Council on Foreign Relations, April 16, 2013, http://blogs.cfr.org/campbell/2013/04/16/boko-haram-recruitment-strategies/;
“Motivations and Empty Promises: Voices of Former Boko Haram Combatants and Nigerian Youth,” Mercy Corps, April 2016, https://d2zyf8ayvg1369.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/Motivations%20and%20Empty%20Promises_Mercy%20Corps_Full%20Report_0.pdf;
Adam Nossiter, “Abuses by Nigeria’s Military Found to Be Rampant in War Against Boko Haram,” New York Times, June 3, 2015, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/04/world/africa/abuses-nigeria-military-boko-haram-war-report.html.
Increasingly, Boko Haram is believed to forcibly conscript its members.Farouk Chothia, “Boko Haram crisis: How have Nigeria's militants become so strong?,” BBC News, January 26, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30933860;
“Motivations and Empty Promises: Voices of Former Boko Haram Combatants and Nigerian Youth,” Mercy Corps, April 2016, https://d2zyf8ayvg1369.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/Motivations%20and%20Empty%20Promises_Mercy%20Corps_Full%20Report_0.pdf. Between 2014 and 2016, the group reportedly abducted 10,000 boys and trained them as foot soldiers.Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson, “The 10,000 Kidnapped Boys of Boko Haram,” Wall Street Journal, August 12, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-kidnapped-boys-of-boko-haram-1471013062. One such individual told humanitarian aid agency Mercy Corps: “[Boko Haram] invaded our village and asked all the youth to come out and follow them or be killed….after they killed the first person who complained of this, we all followed them.”“Motivations and Empty Promises: Voices of Former Boko Haram Combatants and Nigerian Youth,” Mercy Corps, April 2016, https://d2zyf8ayvg1369.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/Motivations%20and%20Empty%20Promises_Mercy%20Corps_Full%20Report_0.pdf. Boko Haram is believed to send many of these conscripted recruits to Cameroon where they are “re-educated” with Boko Haram’s ideology, according to analyst Jacob Zenn.Jacob Zenn, “Boko Haram: Recruitment, Financing, and Arms Trafficking in the Lake Chad Region,” Combating Terrorism Center, October 31, 2014, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/boko-haram-recruitment-financing-and-arms-trafficking-in-the-lake-chad-region.
Boko Haram has also attempted to recruit members by offering financial loans, referred to by the Nigerian military as “clandestine dispensation.”Radina Gigova, “Boko Haram luring young people with loans, Nigerian military says,” CNN, April 21, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/21/africa/nigeria-boko-haram-loans-entrepreneurs/;
“Motivations and Empty Promises: Voices of Former Boko Haram Combatants and Nigerian Youth,” Mercy Corps, April 2016, https://d2zyf8ayvg1369.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/Motivations%20and%20Empty%20Promises_Mercy%20Corps_Full%20Report_0.pdf. Such financial support may be attractive to aspiring business owners already disillusioned by the severe lack of economic opportunity in northern Nigeria. These individuals are believed to either accept loans from the group prior to joining, or join with the expectation of receiving the funds.“Motivations and Empty Promises: Voices of Former Boko Haram Combatants and Nigerian Youth,” Mercy Corps, April 2016, https://d2zyf8ayvg1369.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/Motivations%20and%20Empty%20Promises_Mercy%20Corps_Full%20Report_0.pdf. Either way, “the payment has been surreptitiously programmed to fail by the benefactor, the Boko Haram,” according to an April 2016 statement by the Nigerian military.Radina Gigova, “Boko Haram luring young people with loans, Nigerian military says,” CNN, April 21, 2016, http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/21/africa/nigeria-boko-haram-loans-entrepreneurs/.
Training:
At the start of Boko Haram’s military campaign in 2009, its members used elementary tactics, such as drive-by shootings, which did not require advanced training. That process changed as the group began employing more advanced forms of weaponry, including explosives assembled by members who had previously trained alongside al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).Jacob Zenn, “Boko Haram: Recruitment, Financing, and Arms Trafficking in the Lake Chad Region,” Combating Terrorism Center, October 31, 2014, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/boko-haram-recruitment-financing-and-arms-trafficking-in-the-lake-chad-region.
Boko Haram has revealed little about how it trains its soldiers. Besides operating training camps in Nigeria,“Nigeria Bombs Boko Haram Training Camps,” Huffington Post, February 19, 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/19/nigeria-bombs-boko-haram_n_6713298.html. the group is believed to train its soldiers in Cameroon“Cameroon army says dismantles Boko Haram training camp,” Reuters, December 22, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cameroon-boko-haram-idUSKBN0K01IA20141222. and Somalia.“Nigerian Boko Haram fighters trained in Somalia: president,” Reuters, February 14, 2016, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-somalia-boko-haram-idUSKCN0VN0MF. In early 2015, Boko Haram alluded to its indoctrination and training of children when it released photos via Twitter depicting child soldier training camps.Jack Moore, “Boko Haram Release Shocking Images of Child Soldier Training Camp,” Newsweek, January 26, 2015, http://www.newsweek.com/boko-haram-release-shocking-images-child-soldier-training-camp-302000. The group has reportedly trained children as young as 6 years old to carry bombs into mosques and market places.Drew Hinshaw and Joe Parkinson, “The 10,000 Kidnapped Boys of Boko Haram,” Wall Street Journal, August 12, 2016, http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-kidnapped-boys-of-boko-haram-1471013062. In addition, many of the women and girls abducted by the terror group in recent years have been forced to carry out suicide missions.Dionne Searcey, “Boko Haram Turns Female Captives Into Terrorists,” New York Times, April 7, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/08/world/africa/boko-haram-suicide-bombers.html?_r=028448,d.cWw.
Key Leaders
History
Violent Activities
- December 2003: Attack on a number of police stations in Kanamma, Yobe state by a group then referred to as the Nigerian Taliban. Some of its members later went on to become members of Boko Haram.“Curbing violence in Nigeria (II): The Boko Haram insurgency,” International Crisis Group, Africa Report No 216, April 3, 2014, http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/africa/west-africa/nigeria/216-curbing-violence-in-nigeria-ii-the-boko-haram-insurgency.pdf, 10.
- April 2007: Assassination of Sheikh Ja’afar Mahmoud Adam, a prominent, popular cleric and regular preacher at the Ndimi mosque in Maiduguri shortly before the 2007 presidential election.Andrew Walker, “What is Boko Haram?” United States Institute of Peace, Special Report 308, June 2012, http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR308.pdf, 4.
- July 2009: Boko Haram members set churches, a police station, and a prison on fire in Maiduguri, killing hundreds.Andrew Walker, “What is Boko Haram?” United States Institute of Peace, Special Report 308, June 2012, http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR308.pdf, 4. The government responds by arresting 700 Boko Haram members and laying siege to the mosque in Maiduguri. In response, Boko Haram members begin to indiscriminately kill police officers and civilians. After regaining control of the town, the police and military crack down on the group, allegedly killing hundreds of Boko Haram members, including Yusuf (who dies in police custody).“Spiralling violence: Boko Haram attacks and security forces abuses in Nigeria,” Human Rights Watch, October 2012, http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/nigeria1012webwcover_0.pdf, 35.
- 2010: Boko Haram members return to Maiduguri, instigating attacks against police stations and military barracks to avenge the killing of Yusuf. The group also attacks a local jail, freeing prisoners, and begins attacks against Christians, critical Muslim clerics, suspected collaborators, UN agencies, bars, and schools. Initial attacks mainly constitute of shootings.“Curbing violence in Nigeria (II): The Boko Haram insurgency,” International Crisis Group, Africa Report No 216, April 3, 2014, http://www.crisisgroup.org/~/media/Files/africa/west-africa/nigeria/216-curbing-violence-in-nigeria-ii-the-boko-haram-insurgency.pdf, 14.
- December 24-28, 2010: Boko Haram claims responsibility for a twin bombing in Jos, a city in central Nigeria, killing at least 38 people on Christmas Eve. On the same day, two bombs also go off in two churches in Maiduguri. “Radical Islamist sect says it carried out Nigeria church attacks,” Guardian, December 28, 2010, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/28/islamist-sect-responsibility-nigeria-attacks.
- December 31, 2010: The group sets off a bomb near barracks in Abuja on New Year's Eve, killing at least 4 people.“Nigeria capital hit by barracks bomb,” BBC News, January 1, 2011, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12099176.
- June 16, 2011: In the first suicide bombing in Nigerian history and the first such attack by Boko Haram, a suicide bomber detonates a car bomb at the Nigerian police’s headquarters in Abuja, killing between six and eight people. The attack marks a new degree of sophistication in the way it is carried out.“Boko Haram attacks – timeline,” Guardian, September 25, 2012, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/sep/25/boko-haram-timeline-nigeria; “Boko Haram timeline: From preachers to slave raiders,” BBC News, May 15, 2013, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-22538888.
- August 26, 2011: A suicide car bombing of the UN building in Abuja kills at least 21 people and injures dozens.Adam Nossiter, “Islamic Group Says It Was Behind Fatal Nigeria Attack,” New York Times, August 28, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/29/world/africa/29nigeria.html?_r=0. Boko Haram claims responsibility for the attack, the group’s first strike on a foreign target.“Boko Haram attacks – timeline,” Guardian, September 25, 2012, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/sep/25/boko-haram-timeline-nigeria. Some security analysts claim that the sophisticated execution of the attacks hints to support from transnational terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).Andrew Walker, “What is Boko Haram?” United States Institute of Peace, Special Report 308, June 2012, http://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/SR308.pdf, 6.
- November 4, 2011: Boko Haram attacks a number of targets in Yobo, Damaturu and Borno states, targeting security forces and their offices, markets and 11 churches. At least 100 people are killed.“Boko Haram Fast Facts,” CNN, June 30, 2014, http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/09/world/boko-haram-fast-facts.
- November 15, 2011: A police vehicle within the motorcade of the Borno state governor, Kashim Shettima, is attacked with a bomb in Maiduguri.“Bomb Targets Nigeria Governor's Motorcade In Maiduguri-AFP,” Sahara Reporters, November 15, 2011, http://saharareporters.com/2011/11/15/bomb-targets-nigeria-governors-motorcade-maiduguri-afp.
- December 2011: Boko Haram instigates a number of bomb attacks across Nigeria on Christmas Day including at St Theresa's church in Madalla, a church in the city of Jos, three attacks in northern Yobe state and two attacks in town of Damaturu and Gadaka.“Boko Haram attacks- timeline,” Guardian, September 25, 2012, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/sep/25/boko-haram-timeline-nigeria.
- April 26, 2012: Boko Haram bombs the offices of the newspaper ThisDay.“John Kerry urges Nigeria army ‘restraint’,” BBC News, May 18, 2013, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22580707.
- February 19, 2013: Boko Haram carries out its first cross-border operation and first kidnapping,“Boko Haram timeline: From preachers to slave raiders,” BBC News, May 15, 2013, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-22538888. taking hostage a French family of seven in Cameroon.“A year of attacks linked to Nigeria’s Boko Haram,” CNN, February 27, 2014, http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/27/world/africa/nigeria-year-of-attacks. The family is later released, reportedly in exchange for ransom, though the French and Cameroonian governments deny paying one.
- May 7, 2013: About 200 armed Boko Haram fighters storm a police station, military barracks, and government buildings in Bama, killing 55 and freeing 105 prisoners. The BBC reports that “The fighters reportedly launched the attack in armored vehicles mounted with machine guns… [suggesting] that they are becoming better-resourced and they can adapt to the changing terrain.”“Boko Haram timeline: From preachers to slave raiders,” BBC News, May 15, 2013, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-22538888.
- September 19, 2013: Boko Haram militants attacked city of Benisheik in Borno state, killing at least 87 people.“Nigeria's Boko Haram unrest: Scores dead in Benisheik raid,” BBC News, September 19, 2013, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24169992.
- September 29, 2013: Boko Haram gunmen attack agricultural school in Yobe, killing 50 male students.“Nigeria attack: Students shot dead as they slept,” BBC News, September 29, 2013, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24322683.
- April 14, 2014: Twin bomb attack claimed by Boko Haram at Abuja bus station kills more than 70 people.“Nigeria violence: More than 70 killed in Abuja bus blast,” BBC News, April 14, 2014, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27018751.
- April 14, 2014: Boko Haram kidnaps more than 200 girls from a school in the northern town of Chibok in Borno state, triggering international condemnation and viral social media demands to “Bring Back Our Girls.”Aminu Abubakar & Josh Levs, “‘I will sell them,’ Boko Haram leader says of kidnapped Nigerian girls,” CNN, May 6, 2014, http://edition.cnn.com/2014/05/05/world/africa/nigeria-abducted-girls.
- May 2, 2014: A car bomb explodes on a busy rode in Abuja, killing at least 19. The attack happened days before Nigeria was due to host the World Economic Forum on Africa.“Death toll rises from car bomb in Nigerian capital Abuja,” Guardian, May 2, 2014, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/02/car-bomb-nigerian-capital-abuja.
- May 5, 2014: Boko Haram militants kill more than 300 residents in the town of Gamboru Ngala.“Boko Haram attack kills hundreds in Nigeria,” Al Jazeera, May 8, 2014, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/05/boko-haram-attack-kills-hundreds-nigeria-201457181134779575.html.
- May 20, 2014: Twin bomb attacks in Jos kills at least 118 people.“At least 118 dead after twin car bombs explode in Nigerian city of Jos,” New York Daily News, May 20, 2014,http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/46-dead-twin-car-bombs-explode-nigerian-city-jos-article-1.1799476.
- May 21, 2014: Boko Haram gunmen kill at least 27 people in towns Sharwa and Alagano.“Nigeria violence: 'Boko Haram' kill 27 in village attacks,” BBC News, May 21, 2014, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-27498598.
- June 25, 2014: Twin bomb attacks in Abuja and Lagos kill at least 22 people. Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the attack in both cities. If true, this would be the first attack by Islamist militants in Lagos.“Boko Hara claims responsibility for Lagos, Abuja blast,” Guardian Nigeria, July 13, 2014, http://ngrguardiannews.com/news/national-news/170652-boko-haram-claims-responsibility-for-lagos-abuja-blast.
- July 19, 2014: Members of Boko Haram attack the village of Abbas Gava in northeastern Nigeria.“Boko Haram insurgents kill 100 people as they take control of Nigerian town,” Guardian, July 19, 2014, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/19/boko-haram-kill-100-people-take-control-nigerian-town.
- July 23, 2014: Two suicide attacks in Kaduna kill 82 people. One of the attacks was aimed at opposition leader and ex-president Muhammadu Buhari. It is widely suspected that Boko Haram is responsible for the attacks.Gabra Muhammed, “Suicide bombs in Nigeria's Kaduna kill 82, ex-leader Buhari targeted,” Reuters, July 23, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/23/us-nigeria-violence-idUSKBN0FS19L20140723. There was widespread speculation in the Nigerian media that the attack was an indication of Boko Haram’s strategy to further destabilize Nigeria.
- July 28, 2014: Boko Haram members kidnap the wife of Amadou Ali, Cameroon’s vice prime minister and one of the country’s most visible political figures.Adam Nossiter, “Boko Haram Targets Political Figures in String of Attacks,” New York Times, July 28, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/29/world/africa/boko-haram-targets-political-figures-in-string-of-attacks.html?_r=4.
- July 30, 2014: A female suicide bomber blows herself up in the city of Kano killing 6. This is the third suicide attack carried out by a female suicide bomber. According to security analysts, it is not clear whether the group is recruiting female bombers or forcing kidnapped girls to carry out suicide missions.“Nigeria Kano blast: Boko Haram blamed for six deaths,” BBC News, July 30, 2014, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-28571037.
- August 6, 2014: Boko Haram seizes the town of Gwoza in Borno state, killing 100.“Boko Haram Insurgents Kill 100, Seize Another Major Northeast Town,” Sahara Reporters, August 6, 2014, http://saharareporters.com/2014/08/06/boko-haram-insurgents-kill-100-seize-another-major-northeast-town.
- August 11, 2014: Boko Haram kidnaps at least 97 men and boys and kills 28 people, and injures 27 others, in a raid on villages in Borno state.Aminu Abubakar, “Boko Haram kidnaps at least 97, kills 28 in raid,” CNN, August 15, 2014, http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/15/world/africa/boko-haram-kidnapping/index.html.
- August 12, 2014: Hundreds of thousands of Nigerians flee attacks from Boko Haram in the north east of Nigeria. Multinational agencies have said they are now sheltering more than 40,000 people.Patrick McGroarty & Gbenga Akingbule, “Hundreds of Thousands of Nigerians Flee Boko Haram, Seek Sanctuary,” Wall Street Journal, August 12, 2014, http://online.wsj.com/articles/hundreds-of-thousands-of-nigerians-flee-boko-haram-seek-sanctuary-1407855499.
- August 21, 2014: Boko Haram seizes a riot police training academy in northern Nigeria, driving out recruits.“Boko Haram crisis: Nigeria militants ‘seize police academy,’” BBC News, August 21, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28884665.
- August 21, 2014: Boko Haram seizes another town, Buni Yadi in Yobe state, reflecting an apparent strategic shift toward taking and holding territory in order to achieve its goal of establishing an Islamist state.Aminu Abubakar, “Boko Haram takes over another Nigeria town,” AFP, August 21, 2012, accessed August 22, 2012, https://news.yahoo.com/boko-haram-takes-over-another-nigeria-town-witnesses-142352168.html.
- September 2, 2014: Boko Haram attacks and attempts to seize the town of Bama in northeast Nigeria. Nigerian Military officials are able to repel the attack and kill 70 Boko Haram fighters, but the group returns the next day and succeeds in seizing the town.“Nigeria's Boko Haram 'seize' Bama town in Borno,” BBC News, September 2, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29021037.
- September 6, 2014: Boko Haram militants attack the town of Gulak near the Cameroon border. Eyewitnesses state that the fighters “went from house to house shooting people.”“Boko Haram Militants Attack Northeast Town Near Cameroon Border,” New York Times, September 6, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2014/09/06/world/africa/06reuters-nigeria-violence.html.
- September 18, 2014: Boko Haram suicide bombers kill 15 people at a Nigerian teachers’ college. The bombers open fire at students and then detonate explosives in a crowded lecture hall.“Deaths in Attack on Nigeria Teachers' College,” Al Jazeera, September 18, 2014, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/09/deaths-attack-nigeria-teachers-college-2014917194449334646.html.
- September 20, 2014: Boko Haram kills four civilians in Cameroon. Over 40,000 Nigerians have fled to Cameroon in order to escape Boko Haram.“Four Killed in Cross-Border Boko Haram Attack in Northern Cameroon,” New York Times, September 20, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2014/09/20/world/africa/20reuters-cameroon-boko-haram.html.
- September 25, 2014: Boko Haram kills 18 people in an attack in Shaffa, Nigeria.“Boko Haram fighters kill 18 in northeast Nigeria: Witnesses,” Reuters, September 25, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/09/25/us-nigeria-violence-idUSKCN0HK25H20140925.
- October 18, 2014: Boko Haram attacks the village of Dzur, killing at least eight.“Suspected Boko Haram Militants Mount Two Deadly Attacks After Nigeria ‘Ceasefire,’” Reuters, October 18, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/18/us-nigeria-violence-idUSKCN0I70H020141018. Gunmen also abduct around 60 Nigerians from a village bordering Cameroon.Adam Nossiter, “Boko Haram Said to Abduct More Women in Nigeria,” New York Times, October 23, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/24/world/africa/boko-harm-abducts-more-women-despite-claims-of-nigeria-cease-fire.html.
- October 22, 2014: Boko Haram is suspected to be behind a bomb that exploded at a bus station in northern Nigeria, killing at least five and wounding 12.“Bomb Blast Kills Five at Bus Station in North Nigeria: Police,” Reuters, October 23, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/23/us-nigeria-violence-idUSKCN0IC0KV20141023.
- October 23, 2014: Suspected Boko Haram militants kidnap at least 25 girls from a town in northeastern Nigeria.Imma Ande and Isaac Abrak, “Suspected Boko Haram Fighters Kidnap 25 Girls in Northeast Nigeria,” Reuters, October 23, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/23/us-nigeria-violence-girls-idUSKCN0IC1XN20141023.
- October 31, 2014: A car bomb kills at least 10 at a bus stop in northeastern Nigeria.Isaac Abrak, “Car Bomb Kills at Least 10 at Bus Stop in Northeast Nigeria,” Reuters, October 31, 2014,http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/31/us-nigeria-violence-idUSKBN0IK10L20141031.
- November 2, 2014: Militants armed with guns and explosives attack Koton Karfe prison in central Kogi state, freeing 144 inmates. Boko Haram is linked to the attack.“Jailbreak in Kogi; gunmen free 144 inmates,” Premium Times, November 3, 2014, http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/170512-jailbreak-in-kogi-gunmen-free-144-inmates.html;Reuters, “Suicide Blast Kills 29 in Nigeria, Prison Attack Frees 144,” New York Times, November 3, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2014/11/03/world/africa/03reuters-nigeria-bomb.html.
- November 3, 2014: A suicide attack in the northeast Nigerian town of Potiskum kills 29 at a Shiite ceremony. Authorities hold Boko Haram accountable.“Nigerian Shias in Potiskum Hit by ‘Suicide Attack,’” BBC, November 3, 2014, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29882218; “Suicide Blast Kills 29 in Nigeria, Prison Attack Frees 144,” Reuters, November 3, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2014/11/03/world/africa/03reuters-nigeria-bomb.html.
- November 6, 2014: Boko Haram militants raid Ashaka cement factory and steal dynamite from its quarry.“Boko Haram steals dynamite in a raid on Lafarge Nigeria plant: sources,” Reuters, November 6, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/06/us-nigeria-violence-idUSKBN0IQ10F20141106.
- November 7, 2014: A suicide bomber suspected of belonging to Boko Haram kills at least 7 people outside of a bank in northeast Nigeria.Joe Hemba, “Suicide bomber kills at least 7 at bank in northeast Nigeria,” Reuters, November 7, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/07/us-nigeria-violence-idUSKBN0IR19X20141107.
- November 10, 2014: A Boko Haram suicide bomber disguised in a school uniform sets off explosives at a high school in northern Nigeria, killing 48 students and wounding 79.“Suicide Bomber Kills 48 Students in Nigeria,” Associated Press, November 10, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2014/11/10/world/africa/ap-af-nigeria-violence.html.
- November 14, 2014: Boko Haram insurgents recapture the town of Chibok in northeastern Nigeria, where nearly 300 girls were abducted seven months prior. The militants entered the town “shooting from pickup trucks and motorcycles,” forcing thousands to flee.“Boko Hama insurgents seize Nigerian community of Chibok,” Washington Post, November 14, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/boko-haram-insurgents-seize-nigerian-community-of-chibok/2014/11/14/43719424-6c36-11e4-9fb4-a622dae742a2_story.html.
- November 21, 2014: At least 45 people are “slaughtered” by Boko Haram militants in an attack. The attack is believed to be in retaliation to an incident two days prior in which soldiers shot four of the group’s members. According to an eyewitness, the militants “tied peoples' hands behind their backs and slit their throats like animals.”“Nigerian village buries 45 after Boko Haram ‘slaughter,’” Reuters, November 21, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/21/us-nigeria-violence-idUSKCN0J511R20141121.
- November 23, 2014: Boko Haram militants murder 48 fish vendors in northeastern Nigeria. Some victims’ throats are slit, while others are tied up and drowned in Lake Chad. News regarding the attack was slow to surface because Boko Haram militants had destroyed cell towers in the area in previous attacks.“Nigeria: Fish Vendors Attacked,” Agence France-Presse, November 23, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/24/world/africa/nigeria-fish-vendors-attacked.html.
- November 24, 2014: At 09:00 Nigerian time, Boko Haram insurgents flood the town of Damasak in northeast Nigeria, killing an unknown number of people. An eyewitness says that the militants “fired shots into the houses to force people out… many people have died.”“Suspected Boko Haram Militants Attack Nigerian Border Town,” Reuters, November 24, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/24/us-nigeria-violence-boko-haram-idUSKCN0J81UD20141124.
- November 25, 2014: Two female suicide bombers belonging to Boko Haram kill 44 people in an attack in the northeastern city of Maiuguri. The first attacker detonated her bomb, killing three women. When rescuers rushed to the scene, the second girl set off her explosives, killing dozens more.Lanre Ola, “Female Suicide Bombers Kill At Least 44 in Nigeria’s Northeast,” Reuters, November 25, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/25/us-nigeria-violence-idUSKCN0J913C20141125.
- November 26, 2014: Boko Haram insurgents attack two villages bordering the town of Chibok, where nearly 300 schoolgirls were kidnapped in April 2014. The attack leaves more than 20 dead, and left nearly all the houses in the villages “burnt to ash.”“Nigeria: Boko Haram Kills 20 Villagers Near Chibok,” Associated Press, November 26, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2014/11/26/world/africa/ap-af-nigeria-violence.html.
- November 27, 2014: An attack at a northeast Nigerian bus station—purportedly carried out by Boko Haram militants—kills 40 people including five soldiers.“Northeast Nigeria bus station blast kills 40 people: sources,” Reuters, November 27, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/27/us-nigeria-violence-idUSKCN0JB23220141127.
- November 28, 2014: Gunmen purportedly belonging to Boko Haram set off three bombs and open fire on worshippers at a mosque in northern Nigeria’s biggest city, Kano. The attack kills at least 81 people.“Explosions Hit Worshipers in Northern Nigeria,” Reuters, November 28, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2014/11/28/world/africa/28reuters-nigeria-violence.html.
- November 30, 2014: Boko Haram militants raid a mostly Christian town in northeast Nigeria after nightfall, killing “scores” of people. Eyewitness accounts tell of 30 men riding into the town on motorcycles throwing bombs into houses and shooting the people who flee.“Suspected Boko Haram militants raid northern Christian town in Nigeria,” Reuters, November 30, 2014,http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/30/us-nigeria-violence-boko-haram-idUSKCN0JE0H520141130.
- December 1, 2014: Boko Haram militants launch an attack on government, police and military buildings in Damaturu. The attack involves two female suicide bombers detonating bombs at the central Maiduguri market.Jeremy Ashkenas, Derek Watkins, and Archie Tse, "Boko Haram: The Other Islamic State," New York Times, December 11, 2014,http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/12/11/world/africa/boko-haram-nigeria-maps.html.
- December 10, 2014: Boko Haram dispatch two female suicide bombers at a textile market in the city of Kano, killing 6.Mustapha Muhammad, "Nigerian Female Suicide Bombers Kill Six in Northern City," Bloomberg News, December 10, 2014, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-10/explosion-hits-textile-market-in-northern-nigerian-city-of-kano.html.
- December 11, 2014: Boko Haram claim responsibility for twin bombs that explode in the city of Jos, in central Nigeria, killing 31.Robyn Dixon, “Twin Blasts in Nigeria Market Kill 31,” Los Angeles Times, December 11, 2014,http://www.latimes.com/world/africa/la-fg-twin-blasts-nigeria-market-20141211-story.html.
- December 13, 2014: Boko Haram fighters kill 35 people and kidnap about 185 others in a remote farming village in northeastern Nigeria called Gumsuri.“Islamist Militants in Nigeria Kidnap 185 in a Deadly Attack on a Village,” New York Times, December 18, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/19/world/africa/islamist-militants-in-nigeria-kidnap-185-in-a-deadly-attack-on-a-village-.html.
- December 18, 2014: A suspected Boko Haram militant kills 32 and kidnaps 172 women and children during a raid in Northeastern Nigeria.“Suspected Boko Haram Gunmen Kidnap 172 Women, Children in Nigeria,” New York Times, December 18, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2014/12/18/world/africa/18reuters-nigeria-violence.html.
- December 21, 2014: Boko Haram releases a video of its militants killing civilians. They explain that the individuals are being killed because “they are infidels.” In the video, the leader states, “from now, killing, slaughtering, destructions and bombing will be our religious duty anywhere we invade.”“Boko Haram releases video of extremists killing civilians,” Washington Post, December 21, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/boko-haram-releases-video-of-extremists-killing-civilians/2014/12/21/8549fcd4-8954-11e4-a085-34e9b9f09a58_story.html.
- December 22, 2014: Boko Haram is responsible for a bomb that goes off in a bus station near Gombe city, Nigeria. At least 20 people were killed.“Nigeria bombing kills 20 as Boko Haram storms another town ,” Daily Mail, December 22, 2014, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-2883619/Bomb-blast-NE-Nigeria-bus-station-kills-20.html.
- December 30, 2014: 15 people are killed after Boko Haram militants open fire in Kautikari, a town near the Cameroonian border.“Boko Haram Kills 15 in Northeast Nigerian Town-Witnesses,” New York Times, December 30, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2014/12/30/world/africa/30reuters-nigeria-violence.html.
- December 31, 2014: Gunmen suspected of belonging to Boko Haram kidnap 40 young men and boys, mostly between the ages of 15 and 23, from the village of Malari in northeastern Nigeria.“Suspected Islamists Abduct 40 People in Northeast Nigeria,” Reuters, January 2, 2015, http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/01/02/uk-nigeria-violence-idUKKBN0KB19Q20150102.
- January 1, 2015: Boko Haram militants attack a bus in northern Cameroon, killing at least 15 people.“At Least 15 Killed in ‘Boko Haram’ Attack on Cameroon Bus - Sources,” Reuters, January 3, 2015, http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/01/03/uk-cameroon-boko-haram-attack-idUKKBN0KC0GS20150103.
- January 3, 2015: Boko Haram fighters take control of the northeast Nigerian town of Baga and a nearby military base. Hundreds of civilians are killed in the ensuing days.Haruna Umar, “Nigerian President Visits Conflict Zone,” Associated Press, January 15, 2015, http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AF_NIGERIA_VIOLENCE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT. Baga hosts the headquarters of a multinational force from Niger, Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon.“Boko Haram Killed Dozens Seizing Nigerian Town and Army Base,” Reuters, January 5, 2015, http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/01/05/uk-nigeria-violence-idUKKBN0KE1CK20150105.
- January 4, 2015: Boko Haram announces it has captured the northeastern Nigerian town of Baga. During its weekend raid Boko Haram destroys about 620 buildings in Baga and more than 3,100 in neighboring Doron Baga, according to Amnesty International.“Images ‘Show Boko Haram Destruction,’” BBC News, January 15, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30826582. Reports later surface that Boko Haram killed 2,000 people during its capture of Baga.“Images ‘Show Boko Haram Destruction,’” BBC News, January 15, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30826582. The Nigerian government later says only 150 people, including militants, actually died, but Amnesty International says the death toll is much higher than the official numbers.“Images ‘Show Boko Haram Destruction,’” BBC News, January 15, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30826582.
- January 5, 2015: Boko Haram uploads a video to YouTube of its leader, Abubakar Shekau, threatening to overrun Cameroon unless it throws out its constitution and embraces Islam.Agence France-Presse, “Boko Haram Leader Threatens Cameroon in YouTube Video,” Daily Mail, January 7, 2015, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-2900424/Boko-Haram-leader-threatens-Cameroon-YouTube-video.html.
- January 6-7, 2015: Boko Haram raids in Baga leave dozens dead after militants burn homes and buildings while indiscriminately shooting people.Ardo Abdullah, “Boko Haram Kills Dozens in Fresh Raids in Nigerian Town,” Reuters, January 9, 2015, http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/01/09/us-nigeria-violence-idUKKBN0KH1VV20150109.
- January 10, 2015: The Nigerian military repels Boko Haram fighters trying to capture Damaturu, a major northeastern town.“Boko Haram Crisis: Nigerian Archbishop Accuses West,” BBC News, January 12, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30777066.
- January 10, 2015: A girl of around 10 years of age with a bomb strapped to her blows herself up in a market in the city of Maiduguri. At least 16 people are killed and more than 20 are injured.Joe Hemba, “Two Suspected Child Suicide Bombers Hit North Nigeria Town,” Reuters, January 11, 2015, http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/01/11/uk-nigeria-violence-idUKKBN0KK0LS20150111.
- January 11, 2015: A pair of child suicide bombers, both around 10 years old, blow up in an open-air market in Potiskum in Yobe state, killing at least three people. Joe Hemba, “Two Suspected Child Suicide Bombers Hit North Nigeria Town,” Reuters, January 11, 2015, http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/01/11/uk-nigeria-violence-idUKKBN0KK0LS20150111. The children are suspected to be part of the group of 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in April 2014.Alexander Smith, “Boko Haram Appears to Be Using Abducted Girls as Suicide Bombers: Experts,” NBC News, January 15, 2015, http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/missing-nigeria-schoolgirls/boko-haram-appears-be-using-abducted-girls-suicide-bombers-experts-n284456.
- January 12, 2015: Boko Haram forces cross over from Nigeria into neighboring Cameroon and attack a military camp in Kolofata. The Cameroonian military repels the attack, killing 143 militants, according to the government. At least one Cameroonian soldier dies in the fight.Divine Ntaryike, “Cameroon Govt Says 143 Boko Haram Militants Killed,” Associated Press, January 13, 2015, http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AF_CAMEROON_BOKO_HARAM_BATTLE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT.
- January 13, 2015: At least two people are killed and 14 wounded in a suicide attack outside of a mosque in the state of Gombe. Boko Haram does not immediately claim responsibility, although Gombe is just outside its main area of operations.“Suicide Bomber Kills Two, Wounds 14 at Mosque in Northeastern Nigeria,” Reuters, January 13, 2015, http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/01/13/uk-nigeria-violence-idUKKBN0KM29E20150113.
- January 14, 2015: The Nigerian army pushes back a Boko Haram attack in the town of Biu in the state of Borno.“Nigeria Boko Haram: Army Repels Attack in Borno State,” BBC News, January 14, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30817540.
- January 18, 2015: Suspected Boko Haram militants kidnap an estimated 80 people in northern Cameroon.Ngala Killian Chimtom, “Boko Haram strikes in Cameroon as foreign troops arrive from Chad,” CNN, January 18, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/18/africa/cameroon-chad-troops-boko-haram/. The attack marks the first time that Cameroonian villagers are kidnapped by suspected Boko Haram militants.“Boko Haram ‘in Cameroon kidnappings’,” BBC News, January 18, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30873243. Meanwhile, a suicide bomber in northeastern Nigeria kills four and injures more than 40 in an attack suspected to be carried out by Boko Haram.“Boko Haram crisis: Nigeria bomber ‘attacks bus station’,” BBC News, January 18, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30871629.
- January 25, 2015: Boko Haram militants attack Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri, reportedly killing dozens. Militants also capture the northeastern town of Monguno.“Boko Haram attacks key Nigerian city of Maiduguri,” BBC News, January 25, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30972534.
- January 28, 2015: CNN reports that Boko Haram has killed “scores” in the recent series of attacks in Nigeria’s Adamawa state.Aminu Abubakar and Greg Botelho, “Boko Haram strikes again: ‘They slaughter people like animals’,” CNN, January 28, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/28/africa/boko-haram-raids/.
- February 1, 2015: Nigerian troops repel Boko Haram militants closing in on Maiduguri. Hundreds of insurgents are reported dead.Associated Press, “Boko Haram attacks Nigerian city from four fronts,” Fox News, February 1, 2015, http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/02/01/boko-haram-attacking-nigerian-city-from-four-fronts/.
- February 5, 2015: Approximately 800 Boko Haram insurgents shoot or burn to death 90 civilians in a Cameroon border town. The town’s information minister tells the Associated Press that the insurgents “burned churches, mosques and villages and slaughtered youth who resisted joining them to fight Cameroonian forces.”Associated Press, “Boko Haram kills 90 civilians and wounds 500 in Cameroon attacks,” Guardian, February 15, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/05/boko-haram-kills-civilians-attacks-cameroon-border-nigeria-fotokol.
- February 9, 2015: Boko Haram militants hijack a bus in the north of Cameroon, kidnapping as many as 30 civilians.“Nigeria's Boko Haram 'kidnaps 20' in Cameroon bus hijacking,” BBC News, February 9, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31313590.
- March 2, 2015: Chadian troops retake control of the northeastern Nigerian town of Dikwa, which Boko Haram had occupied for weeks. Boko Haram kills hundreds of civilians before retreating.Haruna Umar and Dany Padire, “Hundreds killed as Chad forces seize northeast Nigerian town,” Associated Press, March 3, 2015, http://bigstory.ap.org/article/b0d5f2ae3b49411eab79b59f9f34dfa9/hundreds-killed-chad-forces-seize-northeast-nigerian-town.
- March 2, 2015: Boko Haram posts a beheading video on Twitter of two men the group claims were spies. One of the men, claiming to be a farmer from the Nigerian village of Baga, says on camera that a policeman told him he would “become rich” if he informed on residents in his village. The video includes English, Arabic, and French subtitles. It is Boko Haram’s first purported beheading video.Aminu Abubakar, “Boko Haram posts video purporting to show beheadings of two men,” CNN, March 2, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/02/africa/boko-haram-beheadings-video/.
- March 19, 2015: Boko Haram attacks the Nigerian town of Ngala, which the army said it had retaken from the terrorist group. Boko Haram kills 11 people in the raid.“Boko Haram areas 'retaken in a month' - Nigeria's Goodluck Jonathan,” BBC News, March 20, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31979524.
- March 27-28, 2015: At 11 p.m. on March 27, scores of suspected Boko Haram gunmen attack the Buratai village in northeastern Nigeria’s Borno state. The gunmen burn most of the village and decapitate 23 people. Dozens are wounded.Aminu Abubakar, “Boko Haram blamed for decapitations,” CNN, March 28, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/28/world/boko-haram-nigeria-village-raid/.
- March 29, 2015: Boko Haram attacks the Bauchi state capital, Bauchi city. Gunmen attack public buildings, security checkpoints, police stations, and polling places, destroying ballot boxes. The Nigerian army responds with airstrikes. They burn down the office of the paramilitary Nigeria Security and Civil Defense force, a police station, and the local electoral commission office. Nigeria orders an indefinite curfew in the area. The fighting coincides with the second day of voting in Nigeria’s elections. Bauchi opposition politicians blame the curfew on efforts to affect the elections’ outcome.Agence France-Presse, “Curfew in Bauchi, NE Nigeria, after Boko Haram fighting,” Yahoo News, March 29, 2015, http://news.yahoo.com/nigerian-troops-battle-boko-haram-outside-bauchi-115230995.html.
- April 7, 2015: In Borno State, Nigeria, Boko Haram militants slaughter 24 civilians at a mosque after disguising themselves as preachers.Associated Press, “Boko Haram Kills at least 24 after disguising selves as preachers,” New York Post, April 7, 2015, http://nypost.com/2015/04/07/boko-haram-kills-at-least-24-after-disguising-selves-as-preachers/.
- April 16, 2015: Boko Haram strikes into Cameroon and murders 16 civilians. Six Boko Haram militants are killed by the Cameroonian army.Steve Almasy, “Boko Haram Kills 16 in Cameroon, military says,” CNN, April 18, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/18/africa/boko-haram-cameroon/.
- May 9-10, 2015: Boko Haram gunmen kill two Cameroonian soldiers during clashes over the weekend. Three Boko Haram gunmen also die. Cameroonian officials said the fighting began when Boko Haram militants reportedly moved toward the northern Cameroonian town of Zelevet near the Nigerian border.“Boko Haram kills two soldiers in Cameroon: sources,” Reuters, May 11, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/11/us-nigeria-violence-cameroon-idUSKBN0NW1LG20150511.
- May 13, 2015: Boko Haram kills at least six civilians and six members of a vigilante youth group in an attack on the Nigerian city of Maiduguri.“At least 12 dead after attack on Nigeria's Maiduguri city,” Reuters, May 14, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/15/us-nigeria-violence-idUSKBN0NZ1Y520150515.
- May 15, 2015: Boko Haram retakes the Nigerian town of Marte in Borno state, which government forces had liberated in February.“UPDATE 1-Boko Haram retakes Nigerian town of Marte in Borno state,” Reuters, May 15, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/15/nigeria-violence-borno-idUSL5N0Y658620150515. Boko Haram also attacks the Nigerian town of Mule, about six miles from the Borno state capital.“Boko Haram attacks outskirts of Nigeria's Maiduguri,” Reuters, May 15, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/15/us-nigeria-violence-idUSKBN0O01LV20150515.
- May 16, 2015: At least seven people are killed when a female suicide bomber blows herself up in Damaturu, the capital of northern Nigeria’s Yobe state. No group claims responsibility but authorities suspect Boko Haram.“UPDATE 2-Suicide bomber in northern Nigeria kills at least 7 – witnesses,” Reuters, May 16, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/16/nigeria-violence-idUSL5N0Y70G720150516.
- May 22, 2015: Boko Haram militants hack 10 people to death in Nigeria’s northeastern Adamawa state.Aminu Abubakar, “Boko Haram militants raid Nigerian village, hack 10 to death,” CNN, May 25, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/25/world/nigeria-boko-haram-village-raid/.
- May 29-31, 2015: Boko Haram conducts a three-day string of bombing attacks in northern Nigeria, killing at least 42.Gbenga Akingbule, “Nigeria’s Northeast Suffers String of Attacks by Boko Haram,” Wall Street Journal, May 31, 2015, http://www.wsj.com/articles/nigerias-northeast-suffers-string-of-attacks-by-boko-haram-1433078820.
- June 2, 2015: Boko Haram bombs Maiduguri, killing an estimated 20 people.Associated Press, “Boko Haram bombs Maiduguri in north-east Nigeria, killing 20 people,” Guardian (London), June 2, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/02/boko-haram-bombs-maiduguri-nigeria.
- June 12, 2015: Boko Haram militants burn six northeastern villages in Nigeria’s north, killing 37, according to a survivor.Associated Press, “Boko Haram extremists burn 6 Nigerian villages, kill 37,” Fox News, June 12, 2015, http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/06/12/boko-haram-extremists-burn-down-6-northeast-nigerian-villages-kill-37/.
- June 17, 2015: Boko Haram launches an attack in Niger, killing dozens of civilians.“Boko Haram crisis: Attack in Niger kills dozens,” BBC News, January 18, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-33186154.
- June 18, 2015: Suspected Boko Haram insurgents attack Nigerien villages, killing dozens, in the Diffa region of Niger close to the Nigerian border.“Boko Haram crisis: Attack in Niger kills dozens,” BBC News, June 18, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-33186154.
- June 23, 2015: At least 50 people are killed in various Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Yobe state. One of the attacks reportedly includes a suicide bombing carried out by a 12-year-old girl.“Nigeria violence: 'At least 40 dead' in Boko Haram attack,” BBC News, June 24, 2015, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-33250393.
- June 24, 2015: Boko Haram militants shoot dead at least 42 people in separate attacks in northeast Nigeria.Agence France-Presse, “'Boko Haram' attacks kill over 40 in Nigeria,” Yahoo News, June 24, 2015, http://news.yahoo.com/over-40-killed-boko-haram-attacks-ne-nigeria-091911251.html.
- July 2, 2015: In Borno state, Boko Haram militants gun down nearly 150 people as they pray in mosques during the holy month of Ramadan.Agence France-Presse, “Nearly 150 killed in suspected Boko Haram attacks in NE Nigeria,” Yahoo News, July 2, 2015, http://news.yahoo.com/least-97-dead-boko-haram-attack-nigeria-witnesses-161053965.html.
- July 3, 2015: Boko Haram insurgents murder nearly 200 Nigerians in attacks across the northeast of the country. In one of the attacks, a young female suicide bomber kills 12 in a mosque in Borno.Agence France-Presse, “Boko Haram kills nearly 200 in 48 hours of Nigeria slaughter,” Yahoo News, July 3, 2015, http://news.yahoo.com/nigerian-leader-condemns-inhuman-barbaric-boko-haram-attacks-135249565.html.
- July 6, 2015: Two bombs set off by suspected Boko Haram militants kill 44 in Nigeria’s central city of Jos.New Wire Services, “Bombs blamed on Boko Haram kill 44 in Nigeria,” New York Daily News, July 6, 2015, http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/bombs-blamed-boko-haram-kill-44-nigeria-article-1.2282534.
- July 10, 2015: Boko Haram releases its first beheading video since its allegiance to ISIS.Jay Akbar, “Like master, like servant: Nigerian terror group Boko Haram releases first beheading video since pledging allegiance to ISIS,” Daily Mail (London), July 10, 2015, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3156551/Like-master-like-servant-Nigerian-terror-group-Boko-Haram-releases-beheading-video-pledging-allegiance-ISIS.html.
- July 19, 2015: Suspected Boko Haram militants murder 20 Cameroonians in Kamouna, Cameroon. Many children are among the dead.Associated Press, “Boko Haram extremists kill 20 in Cameroon attack,” CBS News, July 21, 2015, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/boko-haram-extremists-kill-20-in-cameroon-attack/.
- July 25, 2015: Boko Haram militants kill at least 25 in Adamawa state in eastern Nigeria.Aminu Abubakr and Pat St. Claire, “Boko Haram kills 25 in Nigeria,” CNN, July 25, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/25/africa/nigeria-violence/. On the same day, a suspected Boko Haram suicide bomber kills 10 in northern Cameroon.Associated Press, “Suspected Boko Haram suicide attack kills at least 10 in Cameroon,” CBC News, July 25, 2015, http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/suspected-boko-haram-suicide-attack-kills-at-least-10-in-cameroon-1.3168029.
- August 17, 2015: A Chadian judicial source announces Chad will hold 10 Boko Haram suspects on trial for “murder using explosives, illegal possession of weapons of war and criminal conspiracy.”Agence France-Presse, “10 Boko Haram suspects ‘to face trial in Chad over twin attacks’,” Yahoo News, http://news.yahoo.com/10-boko-haram-suspects-face-trial-chad-over-202916426.html.
- August 18, 2015: Nearly 150 Nigerians are shot or drown while fleeing Boko Haram insurgents in Nigeria’s northeastern Yobe state.Agence France-Presse, “Up to 150 Drowned, Shot Fleeing Boko Haram Ambush in Northeast Nigeria: Villagers,” NDTV, August 19, 2015, http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/up-to-150-drowned-shot-fleeing-boko-haram-ambush-in-northeast-nigeria-villagers-1208689.
- August 23, 2015: Suspected Boko Haram militants attack a convoy carrying Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, the new head of the Nigerian army. One Nigerian soldier and 10 militants die, while Buratai is left unharmed.Agence France-Presse, “Nigerian army chief unharmed after suspected Boko Haram attack,” Yahoo news, August 23, 2015, https://en-maktoob.news.yahoo.com/nigeria-army-chief-unharmed-suspected-boko-haram-attack-112116290.html.
- August 25, 2015: Two teenage suicide bombers carry out attack in Damaturu, a northeastern Nigerian town, killing five and injuring 41.Associated Press, “Teenage suicide bomber kills 5, injures 41 in attack in Nigeria,” Globe and Mail (Toronto), August 25, 2015, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/girl-suicide-bomber-kills-5-injures-41-in-boko-haram-attack-in-nigeria/article26088132/.
- August 30, 2015: Boko Haram militants kill dozens of Nigerian civilians in raids on remote towns in the northeast of the country.Associated Press, “Boko Haram Militants Kill Dozens In Attacks On Nigerian Villages,” Huffington Post, August 20, 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/boko-haram-attacks-nigeria_55e07cece4b0c818f6178ca8.
- August 31, 2015: Boko Haram gunmen on horseback kill 79 people in remote villages in northeastern Nigeria.Greg Botelho and Aminu Abubakar, “Boko Haram gunmen on horseback kill 79 in trio of attacks, locals say,” CNN, August 31, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/31/africa/nigeria-violence/.
- Early October 2015: On October 2, militants carry out multiple bomb attacks in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, killing 18 and wounding 41. Boko Haram claims responsibility on October 5.Agence France-Presse, “Boko Haram suspected after Nigerian capital Abuja hit by bomb blasts,” Guardian (London), October 2, 2015, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/oct/03/boko-haram-suspected-after-nigerian-capital-abuja-hit-by-bomb-blasts; Morgan Winsor, “Boko Haram Claims Responsibility For Suicide Bombings Near Nigeria's Capital Abuja,” International Business Times, October 5, 2015, http://www.ibtimes.com/boko-haram-claims-responsibility-suicide-bombings-near-nigerias-capital-abuja-2126974. On October 11, five suicide bombers belonging to Boko Haram kill at least 36 Nigerians at a refugee camp in Chad.“Suspected Boko Haram suicide attacks kill dozens in Chad,” France24, October 11, 2015, http://www.france24.com/en/20151010-wave-suspected-boko-haram-suicide-attacks-strike-chad-nigeria.
- November 27, 2015: A suspected Boko Haram suicide bomber kills 21 Shiites in the middle of a religious procession from Kano to Zaria, Nigeria.Associated Press, “Nigeria: Boko Haram Is Suspected as Suicide Bomber Kills 21 Shiites,” New York Times, November 27, 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/28/world/africa/nigeria-boko-haram-is-suspected-as-suicide-bomber-kills-21-shiites.html.
- December 25, 2015: Boko Haram insurgents launch a Christmas day attack on a town in northeast Nigeria, killing at least 14 and wounding several others.Agence France-Presse, “Boko Haram Kills At Least 14 In Christmas Day Attack In Nigeria: Vigilantes,” NDTV, December 27, 2015, http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/boko-haram-kills-at-least-14-in-christmas-day-attack-in-nigeria-vigilantes-1259317.
- December 28, 2015: Boko Haram insurgents kill at least 80 people with rocket-propelled grenades and multiple suicide bombings in northeastern Nigeria.“Boko Haram attacks northeast Nigerian city, town, 80 killed,” Washington Post, December 28, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/at-least-80-killed-as-boko-haram-attacks-two-nigerian-cities/2015/12/28/08240ae6-ada3-11e5-b820-eea4d64be2a1_story.html.
- February 1, 2016: Boko Haram burns children alive as part of an attack in northeast Nigeria that kills 86. The new tactic is believed to be in response to a recent claim by the Nigerian government that Boko Haram is unable to carry out any attacks other than suicide bombings.Jane Onyanga-Omara, “Survivor claims Boko Haram burned kids alive in attack that kills 86,” USA Today, February 1, 2016, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/01/31/boko-haram-attack-village/79623914/; “Over 50 killed, 70 injured as terrorists attack Borno,” Vanguard (Lagos), February 1, 2016, http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/over-50-killed-70-injured-as-terrorists-attack-borno/.
- November 2016: Boko Haram kidnaps approximately 400 women and children, including at least 300 elementary school students, in the town of Damasak. The incident receives little media attention until Human Rights Watch publishes an investigation into the incident in March 2016.“Nigeria: A Year On, No Word on 300 Abducted Children,” Human Rights Watch, March 29, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/03/29/nigeria-year-no-word-300-abducted-children.
- January 30, 2016: Boko Haram militants firebomb Dalori village, three miles from Maiduguri, killing 86 people.“Boko Haram burns kids alive in Nigeria, 86 dead: officials,” Associated Press, January 31, 2016, https://www.yahoo.com/news/boko-haram-burns-kids-alive-northeast-nigeria-witness-113440486.html?ref=gs.
- February 9, 2016: Two suspected female Boko Haram operatives blow themselves up at a camp for displaced persons in Dikwa, northeastern Nigeria, killing 58 people and wounding nearly 80.Usam Sadiq al-Amin and Dionne Searcey, “Young Bombers Kill 58 at Nigerian Camp for Those Fleeing Boko Haram,” New York Times, February 10, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/11/world/africa/suicide-bomber-girls-kill-58-in-nigerian-refugee-camp.html?_r=1.
- May 12, 2016: Boko Haram suicide bombers attack in Maiduguri, leaving two Nigerian policemen dead.“Boko Haram claims suicide attack in Borno,” Vanguard (Lagos), March 22, 2016, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-35864054.
- June 14, 2016: Boko Haram militants kill 24 people, mostly women, who were in mourning at a funeral in the village of Kuda in Nigeria’s northeastern Adamawa state.Ruth Maclean, “Boko Haram murder 24 at village funeral – mostly women,” Guardian (London), June 17, 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/17/boko-haram-24-village-funeral-mostly-women.
- September 2016: Militants loyal to ISIS-appointed Abu Musab al-Barnawi clash with those loyal to Abubakar Shekau, resulting in the death of several key members of Shekau’s faction. Agence France-Presse, “Rival Boko Haram groups clash in NE Nigeria: sources,” Daily Mail (London), September 7, 2016, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-3777612/Rival-Boko-Haram-groups-clash-NE-Nigeria-sources.html;
Adam Withnall, “Boko Haram descends into in-fighting as reports emerge of deadly clashes between rival Islamist factions,” Independent (London), September 8, 2016, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/boko-haram-descends-into-in-fighting-as-reports-emerge-of-deadly-clashes-between-rival-islamist-a7231726.html. - September 18, 2016- September 19, 2016: Boko Haram insurgents launch three attacks in the village of Tallari in Nigeria’s northern Borno State. Militants behead the village chief and his son, ambush a military convoy, and gun down eight Christians.Associated Press, “Boko Haram insurgents launch attacks in northeast Nigeria,” Washington Post, September 19, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/boko-haram-beheads-village-chief-in-northeast-nigeria-attack/2016/09/19/297e5400-7eb1-11e6-ad0e-ab0d12c779b1_story.html.
- December 9, 2016: Two teenage girls blow themselves up in a marketplace in Madagali, Adamawa state, killing 30 people and wounding 67 others. The Nigerian military holds Boko Haram responsible.Associated Press, “Boko Haram blamed for suicide blasts that killed dozens,” CBS News, December 9, 2016, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nigeria-boko-haram-blamed-for-suicide-bombers-that-killed-dozens/;
Robyn Dixon, “Supposedly defeated, Boko Haram blamed for killing 30 in suicide attack,” Los Angeles Times, December 9, 2016, http://www.latimes.com/world/africa/la-fg-nigeria-boko-haram-bombing-20161209-story.html. - January 17, 2017: Boko Haram insurgents attack a refugee camp hours after it is mistakenly bombed by the Nigerian air force.“Abubakar Shekau, video message released on YouTube, December 29, 2016,” Fox News, January 20, 2017, http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/01/20/boko-haram-attacks-refugee-camp-in-nigeria.html.
- February 22, 2017: Boko Haram insurgents kill seven Nigerian soldiers during an attack on a military outpost in Gajiram, northeastern Nigeria.“Boko Haram attack kills seven soldiers in Borno,” Vanguard (Lagos), February 24, 2017, https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/02/boko-haram-attack-kills-seven-in-nigeria-security-sources/.
- March 15, 2017: Suspected Boko Haram fighters attack the town of Magumeri in northeastern Borno state, indiscriminately firing into civilian homes and killing “scores” of people, according to online news agency Sahara Reporters.“Scores Killed In Boko Haram Attack In Borno State,” Sahara Reporters, March 15, 2017, http://saharareporters.com/2017/03/15/scores-killed-boko-haram-attack-borno-state; “Suspected Boko Haram militants attack northeast Nigeria town: witnesses,” Reuters, March 15, 2017, http://saharareporters.com/2017/03/15/scores-killed-boko-haram-attack-borno-state.
- March 31, 2017: Boko Haram militants kidnap 22 girls and women in two separate raids in northeast Nigeria. They also kill a herdsman who refused to pay a protection fee.“Boko Haram kidnaps 22 girls and women in north-east Nigeria,” Guardian (London), March 31, 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/01/boko-haram-kidnaps-22-girls-and-women-in-north-east-nigeria.
- June 7, 2017: Boko Haram attacks the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguri with explosives and gunfire, forcing civilians to flee as Nigerian military forces repel the extremists.“Boko Haram launches major attack on northeast Nigerian city,” Reuters, June 7, 2017, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-security/boko-haram-launches-major-attack-on-northeast-nigerian-city-idUSKBN18Y2Q3.
- July 25, 2017: Boko Haram ambushes an oil exploration team belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in northeast Nigeria. The attack kills more than 50 people.“Boko Haram attack on Nigeria oil team killed over 50,” Al Jazeera, July 27, 2017, http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/07/boko-haram-attack-nigeria-oil-team-killed-50-170727235033498.html.
- August 15, 2017: A woman suicide bomber explodes at a market in northeast Nigeria, killing 27 people. Almost simultaneously, two other suicide bombers detonate their devices near a camp for displaced persons. In all, 83 people are wounded in the three explosions. Boko Haram is suspected.Ahmed Kingimi, “Suicide bombers kill 27, wound 83 in northeast Nigeria,” Al Jazeera, August 15, 2017, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-security/suicide-bombers-kill-27-wound-83-in-northeast-nigeria-idUSKCN1AV25K; Ismail Alfa Abdulrahim, “Boko Haram suicide bombers kill at least 20 in northeast Nigeria,” Chicago Tribune, August 15, 2017, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-boko-haram-suicide-bombers-nigeria-20170815-story.html.
- November 15, 2017: Four suicide bombers, which include females, carry out attacks in Maiduguri. At least 10 people are killed. Boko Haram is suspected.“Nigeria violence: Suicide bombers kill 10 in Maidurugir,” BBC News, November 15, 2017, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-42006199.
- November 21, 2017: A teenage suicide bomber attacks a mosque in Mubi, Adamawa State, killing over 50 people during morning prayers. Boko Haram is suspected.Ruth Maclean, “Nigeria mosque attack: teenage suicide bomber kills at least 50,” Guardian (London), November 21, 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/21/nigeria-mosque-attack-teenage-suicide-bomber-kills-at-least-50; Emmanuel Akinwotu and Dionne Searcey, “Nigeria Mosque Targeted in Deadly Suicide Bombing,” New York Times, November 21, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/21/world/africa/nigeria-bombing-mosque.html.
Designations
Designations by the U.S. Government:
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June 21, 2012: The State Department designates Boko Haram leaders Abubakar Shekau, Khalid al-Barnawi, and Abubakar Adam Kambar as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.“Terrorist Designations of Boko Haram Commander Abubakar Shekau, Khalid al-Barnawi and Abubakar Adam Kambar,” U.S. Department of State, June 21, 2012, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/06/193574.htm. | November 13, 2013: The State Department designates Boko Haram and Ansaru as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.“Terrorist Designations of Boko Haram and Ansaru,” U.S. Department of State, November 13, 2013, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2013/11/217509.htm. |
Designations by Foreign Governments and Organizations:
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![]() “How Boko Haram is beating U.S. efforts to choke its financing,” Reuters, July 1, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/01/us-usa-nigeria-bokoharam-insight-idUSKBN0F636920140701. |
Associations
Ties to Extremist Entities:
![]() Boko Haram has received limited funding from AQIM.“How Boko Haram is beating U.S. efforts to choke its financing,” Reuters, July 1, 2014, http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/01/us-usa-nigeria-bokoharam-insight-idUSKBN0F636920140701. Boko Haram members have also allegedly attended AQIM training camps.Robin Simcox, “Boko Haram and defining the ‘al Qaeda network,’” Al Jazeera, June 6, 2014, http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/06/boko-haram-al-qaeda-201463115816142554.html. |
![]() According to the U.S. military, there are indications that al-Shabab and Boko Haram are allegedly sharing money and explosive material.David Smith, “Africa's Islamist militants 'co-ordinate efforts in threat to continent's security,’” Guardian, June 26, 2012, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jun/26/africa-islamist-militants-coordinating-threat. |
![]() The two organizations appear to support each other’s operations. Jacob Zenn, “Boko Haram’s international connections,” Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, January 14, 2014, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/boko-harams-international-connections. |
![]() In March 2015, Abubakar Shekau pledged allegiance to ISIS in an audio message.Nima Elbagir, Paul Cruickshank and Mohammed Tawfeeq, “Boko Haram purportedly pledges allegiance to ISIS,” CNN, March 9, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/07/africa/nigeria-boko-haram-isis/index.html. ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi accepted the pledge soon after.Hamdi Alkhshali and Steve Almasy, “ISIS leader purportedly accepts Boko Haram's pledge of allegiance,” CNN, March 12, 2015, http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/12/middleeast/isis-boko-haram/. As of March 2016, approximately 1,000 Boko Haram operatives are believed to be fighting alongside ISIS in Libya. ISIS operatives reportedly hire special smugglers to transport Boko Haram militants quickly from Nigeria to Libya, avoiding typical stops on the smuggling route.Callum Paton, “Isis in Libya: How Boko Haram jihadis are flocking to join Daesh’s holy war in North Africa,” International Business Times, March 5, 2016, http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/isis-libya-how-boko-haram-africas-jihadis-are-flocking-join-daeshs-holy-war-1547640. |
Ties to other entities:
![]() Boko Haram appears to have some connections to Saudi Arabia. The group has allegedly received funding from Saudi organizations and Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf allegedly sought refuge there from Nigerian security forces in 2004.Jacob Zenn, “Boko Haram’s international connections,” Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, January 14, 2014, https://www.ctc.usma.edu/posts/boko-harams-international-connections. |