Monday, 8 September 2014

Boko Haram at a glance

Mohammed Yusuf, bare-chested and with a bandage on his arm, surrounded by soldiers
  • 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
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