Jihad murders by the Party of the People of the Sunnah for Dawah and Jihad, which is Boko Haram’s real name, are almost a daily occurrence now. Clearly the Nigerian government cannot control these jihadists, and is rapidly losing any control it does have. If the victims were Muslims and the perpetrators non-Muslims, the world would act. But non-Muslims in Nigeria may be out of luck.
“Bomb kills at least 10 in northeast Nigerian city: witnesses,” by Lanre Ola for Reuters, March 1 (thanks to King Dave):
(Reuters) – At least 10 people were killed on Saturday when a bomb exploded in the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, witnesses said, in a region where the Islamist sect Boko Haram is pursuing a bloody insurgency.
Boko Haram, whose fight for an Islamic state in northern Nigeria has killed thousands and made the group the biggest threat to security in Africa’s top oil producer, is increasingly targeting the civilian population.
The bomb went off at around 6 p.m. in a busy market area in Ajilari-Gomari near the city’s airport, two witnesses and a police source said.
“I am at the scene now, it is very bad,” local resident Ismaila Abdulraman told Reuters by telephone.
“Many men, women and children died. The fire service are on the ground now and they are bringing corpses of people and trying to put out the fire at the scene,” Abdulraman added, saying he had already seen 10 bodies.
The final death toll was likely to be higher because dozens of people were trapped in the rubble, the witnesses said.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, but Boko Haram only communicates occasionally through Internet videos, days or weeks after attacks.
The military and police did not immediately respond to requests for official comment.
President Goodluck Jonathan started an intensified military push to end Boko Haram’s four-and-a-half year insurgency almost a year ago but the bloodshed has not diminished. He is expected to run in a closely contested election next year.
The violence has been largely contained to Nigeria’s remote northeastern rural areas on the borders with Cameroon and Niger, far from commercial hubs such as Lagos and Abuja, and from the southern oil fields. The attack in the northeast’s biggest city marks a setback for Jonathan’s military campaign.
“The insurgents targeted a busy area where they knew many people usually visit in the evening for commercial activities. It appears Boko Haram are in the city again,” a policeman said, asking not to be named.
Dozens of school children were shot or burned to death in a rural region near the northeastern city of Damaturu last week.
Insurgents killed more than 300 people last month, mostly civilians, including in two other attacks that killed around 100 each, one in which militants razed a village and shot panicked residents as they tried to flee….
jihad3tracker says
Am I the only Jihawatch reader to notice that Islamist attacks in lower latitude Nigeria seem to come faster every week — several times a week in fact ?
Adding this to the North Africa jihadist violence of last year, next comes — as 2014’s months pass by — a failing-state slide into Islamist violence backed by hidden actors — just like the Middle East now.
King Dave says
Thank you Robert Spencer
You made my evening with the shout out!
I’ve learned that Nigerian forces kill more members of Boko Haram the Boko Haram has made victims. If you are a member or merely suspected of BH and the Nigerian police catch you, you are dead! The problem is the line to Join BH is endless. No one is sure where Boko Haram gets their funds from. Certainly kidnapping and bank robbing is not enough.
There are claims I believe to be true that Islamist in the Army tip off Boko Haram, and send troops away from attack sites. Apparently, the spread of Christianity from British colonialism is the main grievance with BH.
Plus Nigeria enjoys the Western funds to fight terrorism like so many others, it seems a no win situation
Salah says
“Apparently, the spread of Christianity from British colonialism is the main grievance with BH.”
Here’s the testimony of a Muslim sheikh:
“..the number of Catholics in Africa has increased from one million in 1902 to 330 million in the year 2000” (sheikh Al-Qataani)
http://crossmuslims.blogspot.ca/2010/05/dying-islam-lislam-mourant.html
mortimer says
Psychopathy…normative Islam, rather than an aberration. 40 schoolboys murdered a few days ago, now shoppers at the market. Just like good old Mohammed, that charming psychopath who murdered 900 Jews in market in cold blood. The Sunna (perfect example) of the prophet.
Bamaguje says
“Islamic Jihadist”… isn’t that tautology?
Are there non-Islamic Jihadists?
Why not just say ‘Jihadists’ or ‘Islamists’?
dumbledoresarmy says
Or just cut to the chase and say – “Muslims”.
gravenimage says
test