The religious sect, Boko Haram rose to prominence in 2009 when it initiated attacks on government buildings in Borno State, leading to clashes with the police and army in which a total of about a thousand people reportedly lost their lives.
With operations mainly restricted to Maiduguri, the state capital, the sect’s rising profile can be described as more terrifying than what the Nigerian government thought it would be after it initially curtailed its former leader and self-proclaimed Islamic scholar, Mohammed Yusuf, who had initiated membership recruitment through the strengthening of his Arabic school’s followership.
The group’s acclaimed objective in Nigeria is to ensure that strict Sharia law is adopted across Nigeria, especially in the northern part, where it is situated. The group professes a radical opposition to Western education which they describe as an influence of the western countries to control the less developing ones.
Mr Yusuf was captured during the 2009 uprising in Bauchi and Borno States, and allegedly shot dead in police custody, after he was handed over to them by the military. Since then, however, the group has ventured into guerrilla attacks; which includes shootings from motorbikes and launching home-made bomb attacks, specially targeted at churches, opposition Islamic leaders and lately police officers.
Many lives have been lost, including police officers, a gubernatorial aspirant of Borno State, religious leaders, as a result of the onslaught of Boko Haram members.
The members believe their wives should not be seen by any men other than themselves and are not supposed to use Western-made goods. Also, anybody who does not embrace their belief, no matter the religious background, is considered an infidel and dealt with.
In opposition to the practice of other Nigerian Muslims, Boko Haram followers pray in separate mosques in cities including Maiduguri, Kano and Sokoto. In early July 2010, Abubakar Shekau, a former deputy leader of the sect, thought to have been killed by the police in 2009, appeared in a video and claimed leadership of the group. He said he was ready to launch attacks on Western influences in Nigeria.
He later issued a statement expressing solidarity with al Qaeda and threatening the United States.
The Borno State police command, however rejected the video clip describing the footage as computer manipulation.
The state’s Police Commissioner, Ibrahim Abdu, insisted that both the sect’s leader, Mohammed Yusuf, and his second-in-command were killed during the 2009 mayhem and that it would amount to total falsehood for someone to claim that one of them was still alive.
“At this era of computer, information and communication technology when impossible things are now made possible, I would be disappointed for one to believe the content of the purported video clip,” he declared. Mr Abdu stressed that anybody who believed that Mr Shekau was still alive should tell the police his whereabouts, a declaration which effectively marked the beginning of a series of spotted attacks against police officers and stations in the state.
The group is notorious for issuing statements claiming violent attacks originated from its members, and keeps promising more of such attacks until its demands are met by the government. It has also claimed responsibility for the bombing at the police headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.