The story about the rise of the terrorist group called “BOKO HARAM” has become a major concern to the world. The insolent practices of the group have rendered people homeless, properties destroyed and brought avoidable and grievous death to communities.
The BOKO HARAM is a body of Islamic West Africa (ISWA) organization, which is known as “Jama`at Ahl as-sunnah lid-Da’wah”, they are a group of people called” Sunnah” and ” Jihad” for preaching messages and the way of Allah. The name of the group was coined from the Hausa word “BOKO” meaning “Book referring to education” and “HARAM” meaning “forbidden,” which means that secular Western Education is forbidden.
The group was founded by”Mohammed Yusuf” in 2002 and it was aimed at preaching and fulfilling the Islamic ways, the group has been led by Abubakar Shekau since 2009. It has been aligned with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The group is also known as “Wilayat Garb Ifrqiya” in the West African province. This group led a mass prison break in September 2010, in Bauchi, in the Northern part of Nigeria.
Ever since then there have been continuous reports of terrorist attacks. Tens of thousands have been kidnapped, killed, and billions of properties destroyed. Over 2.3 billion people have been displaced since May 2013. The Headquarters of these dubious group has been found to be located at the Sambisa forest, Borno state, Gwoza(Borno state), and Marte(Borno state), West Africa, Nigeria.
Their areas of operation have been in the Northeastern part of Nigeria, this group is also found in Northern Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Mali in West Africa region.
They were also responsible for the kidnap of the Chibok schoolgirls in 2012. Many have been released while some were feared dead. A girl named Leah Sharibu is still held by them, her fate unknown.
The Boko Haram insurgency has spread to other neighboring Nations. The Director of Information at the Defense Headquarters of Nigeria once announced that they have been destroyed but the recent events that occurred on September 27, 2020, when the Governor of Borno State and his convoy was attacked have since proven otherwise.
Credit: Daniel Esther