Boko Haram captures Nigeria border town

[hellheaven1987]

Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram has captured the town of Banki, which borders Cameroon, after government troops fled, residents say.

The military has not yet commented on the latest town to reportedly fall to the insurgents in recent weeks.

Fears have been raised that their main target is Maiduguri, the capital of north-eastern Borno state.

Boko Haram's "lightning territorial gains" could lead to Nigeria breaking up like Iraq, a think-thank has warned.

Last month, Boko Haram leader declared an Islamic caliphate in areas under the group's control, following a similar declaration by the Islamic State (IS) group, previously known by the acronym Isis, after it captured parts of Iraq and Syria.

"Unless swift action is taken, Nigeria could be facing a rapid takeover of a large area of its territory reminiscent of Isis's lightning advances in Iraq," the Nigeria Security Network (NSN) said in a special report released on Tuesday entitled North-East Nigeria On The Brink.

"If Maiduguri falls, it will be a symbolic and strategic victory unparalleled so far in the conflict," it said.

"A successful attack could be followed by a take over of the whole of Borno state and possibly parts of Adamawa, Yobe, and neighbouring Cameroon."

The UN refugee agency has said the fighting has forced more than 10,000 people to flee to neighbouring Cameroon and Niger in the past week, the Associated Press news agency reports.

Meanwhile, regional foreign ministers have held talks in Nigeria's capital, Abuja, to discuss the growing security threat.

Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Benin and Niger agreed to step up security co-operation, including intelligence-gathering, to defeat the militants, a statement issued after the meeting said.

Source

So would the Champion of Human Right once again tries to stop this evil? Oh wait the Champion already forgets who is Boko Haram nor what they did a few months ago.

[AqD]

Another caliphate? Perhaps we will witness the new Islamic civil war soon.

[Condottiere 40K]

That would be entertaining, if they were geographically next to each other.

[IZob]

Another caliphate? Perhaps we will witness the new Islamic civil war soon.

That would be entertaining, if they were geographically next to each other.

They (ISIS and Boko Haram) are generally after the same goals - why would they fight each other?

Boko Haram:

• Founded in 2002
• Initially focused on opposing Western education - Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language
• Launched military operations in 2009 to create an Islamic state
• Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria - but also attacks on police and UN headquarters in capital, Abuja
• Some three million people affected
• Declared terrorist group by US in 2013

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-29014513

Located in sub-Saharan Africa, and without any Americans to behead, no one in the international community seems to care all that much about this one.
Just goes to show you, don't expect any outside help once the fecal matter impacts the ventilation system.
And yes, it is a shame they're not close enough to ISIS to kill each other and save the rest of us the trouble.

1. ISIS and Boko Haram are very different in size.
2. It's up to Nigeria to take care of the situation or ask for assistance (of which they have not done in regards to this new situation) note:

   The military has not yet commented on the latest town to reportedly fall to the insurgents in recent weeks.

   Second sentence from op's source...
3. If you remember:

   In April, the militants captured more than 200 girls from a boarding school in the town of Chibok, also in Borno state. Countries such as China, France, the UK and US have sent military assistance to help find the girls but they have not yet been rescued.

So support from the international community has been given in the past, people do care.

[AqD]

They (ISIS and Boko Haram) are generally after the same goals - why would they fight each other?

They were the same until caliphates are formed. There can only one true Caliph and one Caliphate.

[hellheaven1987]

They were the same until caliphates are formed. There can only one true Caliph and one Caliphate.

They need a Mahdi to unify them.

[Caligula's_Horse]

Located in sub-Saharan Africa, and without any Americans to behead, no one in the international community seems to care all that much about this one.
Just goes to show you, don't expect any outside help once the fecal matter impacts the ventilation system.

And yes, it is a shame they're not close enough to ISIS to kill each other and save the rest of us the trouble.

[conon394]

Located in sub-Saharan Africa, and without any Americans to behead, no one in the international community seems to care all that much about this one.
Just goes to show you, don't expect any outside help once the fecal matter impacts the ventilation system.

And yes, it is a shame they're not close enough to ISIS to kill each other and save the rest of us the trouble.

Well to be fair if Nigeria was not absolutely corrupt and its oil wealth equitably spend around the country I doubt Boko Haram would any traction, Failing that its it Oligarchy was at least moderate competent at least would have a effective army instead of tat runs away.

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/nig...ace-20-billion

20 Billion dollars? That funds a lot decent army pay checks and equipment and training, not to mention schools and clinics etc such that Boko Haram looks the nut jobs they really are and desperation and rage they feed off has no toe hold.

More:

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-s...ifying-2012-10

http://www.ibtimes.com/corruption-ni...vernor-1504848

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/10/wo...sing.html?_r=0

http://www.ibtimes.com/corruption-ni...vernor-1504848


Nigeria does not really need outside help - it needs its entire governing class removed and decent government.

[Condottiere 40K]

You can be corrupt and still maintain a fairly competent army. Some might even believe that is a requirement.

[hellheaven1987]

Nigerian military is supposely in its lowest point now.

[conon394]

Nigerian military is supposely in its lowest point now.

Same story really but they just run away apparently

https://medium.com/war-is-boring/hundreds-of-nigerian-soldiers-fled-in-fear-5ba58585510c

[hellheaven1987]

Same story really but they just run away apparently

https://medium.com/war-is-boring/hundreds-of-nigerian-soldiers-fled-in-fear-5ba58585510c

They were not fleeing, they claimed they were "maneuvering" like Ukrainian force a few weeks ago.

Either way I find this from my article interesting:

Privately and on social media, there has been a furious debate about the incident, which has left many Nigerians questioning what may have happened to their fighting force, which performed creditably in several international peacekeeping engagements across Africa.

I assume that does not include Nigeria's recent involvement in Mali.

So support from the international community has been given in the past, people do care.

Right, because:

the militants captured more than 200 girls from a boarding school in the town of Chibok

Or lets be more precisely:

200 Christian Girls

In other words, it captured the world's attention because the victims were "Christian Girls" (or optional term "Black Christian Girls", although it is debatable whether Obama was more motivated by the word "Black" or not); now if you change the words to "200 Muslim Girls" we would see how much attention it would generate (in fact it already happens in Iraq, right now).

[Mayer]

They (ISIS and Boko Haram) are generally after the same goals - why would they fight each other?

minor differences in faith or power struggle could easily lead to sectarian war against each other, it would certainly be a release for all the people who aren't involved (and maybe rebels could take the initiative)

In other words, it captured the world's attention because the victims were "Christian Girls" (or optional term "Black Christian Girls", although it is debatable whether Obama was more motivated by the word "Black" or not); now if you change the words to "200 Muslim Girls" we would see how much attention it would generate (in fact it already happens in Iraq, right now).

exploitation of girls is too common in the muslim world to be a headline, also it would be dubbed islamophobia
effect on christians however makes more people in the western world compassionate

[Caelifer_1991]

Isn't Nigeria's military expenditure somewhere along the lines of 0.75% of GDP?

[Condottiere 40K]

Of course you might wonder why Nigeria hasn't collapsed before this; though that might explain why so many of their Princes are anxious to move their money off-shore.

[Condottiere 40K]

The Twelfth Iman, followed shortly by Christ.

[hellheaven1987]

Bodies remain littered on the streets of a northern Nigerian town two days after it was seized by militant Islamists, a lawmaker has told the BBC.

Boko Haram fighters were patrolling the streets of Bama, preventing people from burying the dead, Ahmed Zanna said.

On Wednesday, the state government denied the town had fallen.

Officials said about 26,000 people had been displaced by fighting in Bama, a key town in the battle for control of Nigeria's north-eastern Borno state.

Earlier this week, the Nigeria Security Network (NSN) think-tank said the group had made "lightning territorial gains" in recent months, raising fears that the country could disintegrate like Syria and Iraq, where the Islamic State (IS) rebel group has declared a caliphate.

Source

[conon394]

In a morbid and sad way it will be interesting to see how what should be the well economic powerhouse of West Africa can hold vs BH, Ebola and persistent corruption in its oil sector. I mean it pathetic it can't run its refineries at capacity and has to import even basic refined products like kerosine while people like goodluck jonathan look rather fat and happy.

[wulfgar610]

Yes it is true, the Koran teaches the Earth is flat (although perhaps a little lumpy). Unfortunately due to the lack of a printing press in the 7th century, Mecca's corner of Arabia hadn't caught up with the latest Greek research.

Boko Haram kill people who engage in practices seen as un-Islamic, such as drinking alcohol In a 2009 interview, the founder of the sect, Mohammed Yusuf, asserted his belief that the theory that the Earth is round is contrary to Islamic teaching and should be rejected.

[Condottiere 40K]

If the Nigerians don't get control back soon, you're going to have separatist faction rise who are going to be more efficient, less radical and less corrupt than the current participants.