BBC Report says attacks by Boko Haram have been progressive
Boko Haram Attacks Progressive in 2016, 2017—BBC Report
A report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Monitoring released today shows that despite claims by the Nigerian government to have “technically defeated” the deadly jihadist terrorist group, the volume and victims of the attacks have risen progressively from 2016 to 2017.
The BBC said Boko Haram is the most incomprehensible terrorist group in the world, adding that January has remained the deadliest month in the history of the attacks.
The report said: “Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has repeatedly said that the Boko Haram jihadist group has been defeated but BBC analysis of its attacks shows little change.
Research by BBC Monitoring shows the group killed more than 900 people in 2017, marginally more than it did in 2016”.
The BBC, in the presentation of its report, published online at http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-42735414 crunched the numbers to show in a series of graphs, the type of attacks Boko Haram stages, which areas they target and which month is most deadly.
Boko Haram launched an insurgency against the Nigerian government in 2009 with the aim of establishing an Islamic caliphate in West Africa.
Mostly focused in north-eastern Nigeria, the conflict has reportedly left around 20,000 dead and displaced at least two million.
The report said fatalities have increase while targets remain the same
“At least 967 people were reportedly killed by Boko Haram attacks in 2017, an increase on the previous year when 910 deaths were reported.
The highest concentration of fatalities in 2017 was in Maiduguri, which has seen its population double to two million in recent years as people flee Boko Haram violence in rural areas.
Elsewhere in Nigeria, there were also high concentrations of fatalities in the localities of Magumeri, Konduga, Damaturu and Mubi”
Following perceived incapacity to contain Boko Haram activities, Nigeria’s military on December 6th, 2017 removed Maj. General Ibrahim Attahiru, the commander leading the fight against Boko Haram in the North-East Nigeria.
He was the Theatre Commander of the Operation Lafiya Dole. The Government appointed a new Major General Rogers Nicholas to head the military anti-insurgency operation in the North-East.
That notwithstanding, the pattern of Boko Haram attacks remained unchanged and Nigeria recorded many deadly attacks from December 2017 to January 2018.