What is Boko Haram? Boko Haram at a glance Founded in 2002 Official Arabic name, Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad, means "People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad" Initially focused on opposing Western education - gaining the nickname Boko Haram, which means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language Launched military operations in 2009 to create Islamic state Founding leader Mohammed Yusuf (pictured above) killed in 2009 same year in police custody, succeeded by Abubakar Shekau Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria - also attacked police and UN headquarters in capital, Abuja Some three million people affected Declared terrorist group by US in 2013

The Islamic Fundamentalist group Boko Haram has been responsible for Church bombings, executions, and tortures throughout Northern Nigeria. Boko Haram advocates creating a Nigerian theocracy and separate state in the North Top left: Boko Haram militantsTop right: victims of a recent Boko Haram bombing

Origins of Boko Haram

Origins Religious insecurities Being a Muslim in Nigeria used to bring power, prestige Political insecurities Politicized religious and ethnic identity Conspiracy theories driven by fear and reinforced by a heavy-handed security response to protests Maiduguri, Borno state

Origins of Boko Haram Religion splits Nigeria in half: The North is Muslim while the South is Christian Bombings of churches and mosques occur frequently and tensions are highest during elections and near the middle belt Islamic fundamentalism and radicalism has manifested itself in the North with the appearance of the political group Boko Haram

Origins: Historical Backdrop to Boko Haram President Babangida’s foreign policy and Nigeria’s OIC membership Adoption of Sharia by 9 Northern states (plus partial adoption by 3) since 1999, posing a serious challenge to constitutional separation of state and religion December rise of Maitatsine in the Northern commercial city of Kano – 5000 lives lost in uprising Leader – Alhaji Mohammadu Marwa Maitatsine Maitatsine considered as a rebel among mainstream Muslim clerics Used adulterated version of the Koran, with his name in place of that of Prophet Mohammed Preached against use of modern technologies such as motorcycles, automobiles, bicycles, radio, television, wristwatch, etc. Killed in the Kano violence of 1980; his followers continued to spread his radical message among the urban poor across the northern region; 1985 last major Maitatsine uprising

Origins and Rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram (Western education is evil) surfaced as “Nigerian Taliban” during Obasanjo’s era Founding leader Mohammed Yusuf, a high school drop out who studied the Koran in Niger and Chad and came back with radical religious views; Yusuf established a sect in 2001 under the name Yusufiyya in Maiduguri Yusuf coopted into Boko Haram between 2001 and 2009 when the sect sparked a bloody uprising in Maiduguri; the 2009 crisis earned the group the name Boko Haram which reflects its anti-Western ideology Following the 2009 religious uprising Yusuf was killed while in police custody Mallam Abubakar Shekau current spiritual leader of Boko Haram Blind commitment to violent fundamentalism and the islamization project

Goals and Doctrine of Boko Haram

Objectives Impose Sharia Law Establish Caliphate Wage war

Leader: Abubakar Shekau Perhaps the most shocking revelation about him was the video clip of him laughing as he admitted the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls in April 2014, promising to sell them. "I abducted your girls," he said. "I will sell them in the market, by Allah. I will sell them off and marry them off." Fondly called imam or leader by his followers, Abubakar Muhammad Shekau was born in Shekau village in Nigeria's north-eastern state of Yobe. Some say he is in his late 30s, others believe he is in his mid-40s - the uncertainty adds to the myths surrounding him. The US government has offered a reward of up to $7m (£4.6m) for information about his location.

Leader: Shekau Shekau issued a chilling message in one of those appearances - which provides a major insight into what his leadership of the group will bring. "I enjoy killing anyone that God commands me to kill - the way I enjoy killing chickens and rams," he said in the video clip released just after Boko Haram had carried out one of its deadliest attacks, in January 2012, killing more than 180 people in Kano, northern Nigeria's largest city.

Membership of Boko Haram

Operates as a Network Network is believed to be expanded outside of Nigeria border Believe to have different cells located in countries surrounding Nigeria New technology and money sources “State within the state”

Membership Most members drawn from Islamic clerics and students, professionals, students of tertiary institutions in Borno and Yobe states (key Sharia states) School drop-outs enrolled in Madrassa or Koranic schools Northern politicians who represent “opportunistic face of Islam” Dubious members of the state security agencies who help the group with training

Sources of Deadly Weapons Smuggling Robbery Looting of armories or sales from servicemen Influx of illegal alien arms through Nigeria’s porous borders Illegal arms transfer enabled by poor surveillance and intelligence gathering of Nigeria’s security agencies

Current Strategy Provoke violence Provoke heavy handed government response Mobilize Nigerian Muslims to revolt Media strategy Suicide bombings Links with al Qaida? Factions

Targets of Boko Haram Violence

Targets of recent BH violence State security agencies – the police and army Churches/Christians Schools Open markets The media – particularly newspapers Prominent government officials and private citizens Moderate Muslims United Nations Government informants

BH far more brutal than other groups BH resources – machete, AK-47, bombs, motorcycles, cars, suicide bombers, cell phones, internet, websites, media releases through the internet and newspapers Far more violent than other groups, better organized and equipped and probably more motivated than government security operatives Very effective at using force or threat of force to instill fear

Boko Haram Attacks The deployment of troops has driven many of them out of Maiduguri, their main urban base and they have now retreated to the vast Sambisa forest, along the border with Cameroon. From there, the group's fighters have launched mass attacks on villages, looting, killing and burning properties in what appeared to be a warning to rural people not to collaborate with the security forces, as residents of Maiduguri had done. Boko Haram has also stepped up its campaign against Western education, which it believes corrupts the moral values of Muslims, especially girls, by attacking two boarding schools - in Yobe in March and in Chibok in April. It abducted more than 200 schoolgirls during the Chibok raid, saying it would treat them as slaves and marry them off - a reference to an ancient Islamic belief that women captured in conflict are part of the "war booty". It made a similar threat in May 2013, when it released a video, saying it had taken women and children - including teenage girls - hostage in response to the arrest of its members' wives and children. There was later a prison swap, with both sides releasing the women and children.

Boko Haram Attacks They are in the news because they have abducted more than 200 schoolgirls during the Chibok raid, saying it would treat them as slaves and marry them off - a reference to an ancient cultural belief that women captured in conflict are part of the "war booty".

Boko Haram Attacks At the same time, Boko Haram has continued with its urban bombing campaign, targeting the capital on 14 April 2014, when at least 70 people were killed in an explosion near a car park and on 2 May when 19 people died. This shows that not only does Boko Haram have a fighting force of thousands of men, but also cells that specialise in bombings.

You Tube Clip Boko Haram leader: 'I abducted your girls' Published on May 5, 2014 Running time of 2:59 CNN's Vladimir Duthiers reports on the shocking kidnapping of girls in Nigeria. Boko Haram now claims responsibility.

Boko Haram Attacks Attacks by the Boko Haram group that provoked the military actions of the Nigeria government included: an assault on a military barracks, detonating a bomb at a bus station in the northern city of Kano and the kidnap of a French family, including four children, which grabbed the world's attention.

How Has The Nigerian Government Responded to Boko Haram

You Tube Terror Tears Through Nigeria: Hunting Boko Haram (Part 1) | FRONTLINE Terror Tears Through Nigeria: Hunting Boko Haram (Part 1) | FRONTLINE Published on Sep 9, 2014 Running time of 12:30 Subscribe on YouTube: FRONTLINE travels to Nigeria to investigate Boko Haram, the Islamist militant group that kidnapped hundreds of schoolgirls in April, 2014 sparking international outrage and worldwide pressure to #BringBackOurGirls. In Nigeria, we uncover evidence that security forces - including local militias - are committing atrocities, including mass arrests, severe beatings and even executions, against Boko Haram suspects, many of whom are actually innocent civilians.

Effects and Impact of Threat of Boko Haram

Implications of BH Militancy for Nigeria Renewed concerns about credibility of constitutional separation of state and religion and secular status of the Nigerian state Renewed concerns about constitutional protection of cardinal citizenship rights – choice of religious affiliation; place of residence; profession; life style, etc. Above concerns raised at recently concluded meeting of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities BH militancy has prompted renewed calls for Sovereign National Conference (SNC) by political activists and civil society groups across the country Recent gathering of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities

You Tube VlogBrothers: Understanding Boko Haram Published February 2015 Running time of 6:17 Subscribe on YouTube: In which John discusses Nigeria, its complicated history, and how that history has shaped the region from which the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram emerged. Also discussed is the history of Boko Haram itself and its recent atrocities.