Borno massacre

The Borno massacre took place in Konduga, Borno State, on February 14, 2014.^[1][2] The massacre was conducted by Boko Haram Islamists against Christian Villagers in Borno State, Nigeria. Reportedly, the massacre led to the deaths of at least 121 people.

Massacre

The massacre occurred on February 14, 2014 in the Northeastern Borno State of Nigeria. The village where the attack occurred was a predominantly Christian village. Dressed in military gear, dozens of militants raided the village. Some of their victims were shot. Others had their throats slit. By the end of February 15, 2014, 121 people had been killed. The militants reportedly yelled "Allahu Akbar while attacking the village, which is also a phrase used by other terrorist groups. The militants then continued to destroy homes and businesses in the town.^[3]

The following day, Boko Haram launched a similar style attack in Gwosa (also spelt as Gwoza), Nigeria. Reportedly, over 90 Christians were killed in the attack. Thousands of villagers from Gwosa fled the town for the border with Cameroon in order to escape the violence. Survivors reported gunmen indiscriminately shooting everyone in their path, burned down the churches, and looted all the food.^[3]

Boko Haram militants then proceeded to attack the Nigerian Army, killing 9 Nigerian soldiers and subsequently forcing the army to retreat from the area. The army would then proceed to launch large scale air and land raids and Boko Haram, forcing the militants to hide out in the forested areas.

May 2014 Massacre

On May 06, 2014, around 200 people were killed when insurgents, dressed in military uniforms, attacked Gamboru, a town in the state of Borno and on the Nigeria-Cameroon border. The attackers stormed into the town when some of the residents were fast asleep and set ablaze houses while shooting at residents who tried to escape from the fire.^[4]

Boko Haram

Boko Haram is an Islamist terrorist movement in Nigeria that is seeking to impose sharia law upon the entire country. Founded by Mohammed Yousuf, the group commonly bombs government buildings and churches in its militant attacks. The group is predominantly active in the former territory of the Bornu Empire, now the Borno State in northern Nigeria. Boko Haram launched its first terror attack in 2011, and has since been in a constant war with the Nigerian government. Boko Haram is particularly vicious against Nigerian Christians, who they see as infidels living in their proposed Islamist state. The militant group had wiped out multiple villages leading up to the Borno Massacre. The violence became so widespread that on May 14, 2013, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Northern Nigeria and mobilized the army to battle the militants.^[5]

References