Terrorism: Boko Haram Islamist Militants Slaughter 2,000 Nigerians

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I’ve been finding this here and there on social media but I haven’t seen or heard much about it on the mainstream news and I have to wonder why.  Is life worth less to Americans if that life is Nigerian?  News outlets will spend hours talking about the Golden Globe awards and what the idiot Republicans are doing in Washington, as well as how the evil police are turning their backs on the New York City Mayor, but little to nothing on the brutal murders of 2,000 people?  That’s fucked up.

Thousands massacred in Nigeria by Boko Haram. Pic courtesy www.elombah.com
Thousands massacred in Nigeria by Boko Haram. Pic courtesy www.elombah.com

Kano, Nigeria (CNN) Boko Haram militants opened fire on northern Nigerian villages, leaving bodies scattered everywhere and as many as 2,000 people feared dead.

“The attack on Baga and surrounding towns looks as if it could be Boko Haram’s deadliest act,” Amnesty International said in a statement.

Islamist militants sprayed bullets as they stormed in last weekend in trucks and armored vehicles, local authorities said Friday.

When they arrived, they unloaded motorcycles and pursued residents who fled into the bush, firing indiscriminately, said Baba Abba Hassan, a local district head.

Local officials reported death tolls ranging from hundreds to as many as 2,000 people.

“Dead bodies litter the bushes in the area and it is still no‎t safe to go and pick them (up) for burial,” said Musa Bukar, the chairman of the local government where Baga is located.

“Some people who hid in their homes were burned alive.”

Raid lasted for days

During the raid that started January 3, hundreds of gunmen seized the town of Baga and neighboring villages, as well as a multinational military base.

Attacks started at dawn and continued throughout last weekend, according to residents.

Though local officials gave conflicting death tolls, they agreed on the massive number of fatalities.

More than 2,000 people were killed in attacks on 16 villages, Bukar said. He could not explain how he arrived at that toll.

But the local district head said hundreds of people had been killed, not thousands. The actual toll will be known after a headcount of households is complete, Hassan said.

An offensive is underway to reclaim the areas from the militants, according to Mike Omeri, a government spokesman.

Tens of thousands displaced

At least 30,000 people were displaced, authorities said. About 20,000 of the displaced camped in Maiduguri city, the capital of Borno state.

Authorities are making arrangements to transport the 10,000 others from Monguno town, 60 kilometers (36 miles) from Baga. Some residents fled into neighboring Cameroon and Chad.

“If reports that the town was largely razed to the ground and that hundreds or even as many as 2,000 civilians were killed are true, this marks a disturbing and bloody escalation of Boko Haram’s ongoing onslaught against the civilian population,” Amnesty International’s Daniel Eyre said.

Boko Haram has terrorized northern Nigeria regularly since 2009, attacking police, schools, churches and civilians, and bombing government buildings. It has also kidnapped students, including more than 200 schoolgirls who were abducted in April and remain missing.

The Islamist group has said its aim is to impose a stricter form of Sharia law across Nigeria, which is split between a majority Muslim north and a mostly Christian south.

The United States condemned the attacks, saying the group “shows no regard” for human life.

“All those responsible for these recurring terrorist attacks must be held accountable,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.

Threats against Cameroon

In neighboring Cameroon, President Paul Biya urged the international community to help battle the terror group. His call came after the leader of the terrorist group threatened him in a YouTube video.

“Oh Paul Biya, if you don’t stop this, your evil plot, you will taste what has befallen Nigeria. Your troops cannot do anything to us,” Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said in the video released this week.

The threat against the President came after Cameroonian soldiers killed dozens of Boko Haram fighters this month.

Biya told the international community that a global response is required to combat the terror group.

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Professor Mike

Professor Mike is a left-leaning, dog loving, political junkie. He has written dozens of articles for Substack, Medium, Simily, and Tribel. Professor Mike has been published at Smerconish.com, among others. He is a strong proponent of the environment, and a passionate protector of animals. In addition he is a fierce anti-Trumper. Take a moment and share his work.
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9 years ago

WWIII continues apace – and our politicians are still behaving like it doesn’t even exist!

Marsha Woerner
9 years ago

My husband and I were talking about this just this morning. Not to downplay the Charlie Ebdo tragedy, but we ignore the Boko Haram situation and our peril! Yes, France is an important ally, and Nigeria, well, it’s just full of black heathen, but Islamist radicals are doing horrible things, and “black heathens” are every bit as human as a dozen Europeans. Furthermore, if ISIS takes over Africa along with the mid-east, well, the more we let go, the more we have against us in the end. We Americans have got to be less focused on our small little spyglass view of the world, and start looking at the big picture!
We Americans need to stop believing that “life is worth less to [us] if it is Nigerian”, or anything else, for that matter!

9 years ago

“Is life worth less to Americans if that life is Nigerian?”

Apparently.

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