Since I last wrote on 6 March 2013 about Boko Haram things have only gotten worse in Northern Nigeria. I said it met all the qualifications to be counted as a civil war but some said no, it wasn’t that bad. Today the President of Nigeria declared a state of emergency due to Boko Haram.
Yesterday, Boko Haram released a video where their leader claimed responsibility for attacks that left 240 dead and claimed they will continue abducting women and children. Another report stated that Boko Haram has destroyed 50 of the 175 schools on Borno state. Boko has also mounted increasingly sophisticated attacks, including one in Bama on 8 May 2013 where 200 fighters arrived in buses wearing army uniforms and freed 105 prisoners and burned the police station, army barracks, and other government buildings.
Boko Haram also hit a major payday in april 2013 when they received $3 million for releasing the French family taken hostage in Cameron. All the extra cash will go a long way in financing future attacks and undoubtably contributed to Boko Harams declared affinity for kidnapping. The more ransoms are paid the more Boko Haram can expand their operations.
I've been a bit absent from the news lately, so I had no idea that the French paid the ransom! Didn't they deny that when the hostages were released? Thanks for this update, Arnie!
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