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Latest update: 21/01/2012
- Boko Haram - Christmas - Goodluck Jonathan - Islamism - Islamist militants - Nigeria - police - terrorism
Boko Haram claims deadly Nigeria bomb attacks
The Islamist sect Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for a series of coordinated bomb attacks targeting security forces in Nigeria’s northern city of Kano on Friday, which left at least seven people dead.
REUTERS - The Islamist sect Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for coordinated bomb attacks on security forces in the north Nigerian city of Kano that killed seven people late on Friday.
The attacks prompted the government to announce a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the city of more than 10 million people.
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Kano, like other cities in the north, has been plagued by an insurgency led by Boko Haram, which is blamed for scores of bombings and shootings, aimed mainly at government targets, that are growing in scale and sophistication.
A spokesman for Boko Haram contacted reporters in the northeast city of Maiduguri, where the sect is based, to claim responsibility for the attacks. A letter was also dropped around Kano, which appeared to be from the group.
The letter, written in the Hausa language spoken in northern Nigeria, said the attacks were retribution for police arrests and killings of members of the sect.
“At the moment, seven casualties have been confirmed from different locations of the attacks,” police media officer Olusola Amore said in a statement.
The statement said the police “are doing their best to bring the situation under control ... (we are) appealing to members of the public to come forward with information on the identity and location of these hoodlums.”
The police said eight buildings were attacked, including police headquarters, three police stations, the headquarters of the secret services and the immigration head office.
Witnesses said smoke billowed from the police headquarters after the blast blew out its windows, wrecked its roof and triggered a blaze that firefighters struggled to control.
Boko Haram became active around 2003 and is concentrated in the northern states of Yobe, Kano, Bauchi, Borno and Kaduna.
Boko Haram, a Hausa term meaning “Western education is sinful”, is loosely modelled on the Taliban movement in Afghanistan.
The sect originally said it wanted sharia, Islamic law, to be applied more widely across Africa’s most populous nation but its aims have changed. Recent messages from its leaders have said it is attacking anyone who opposes it, at present mainly police, government and Christian groups.
A bomb attack on a Catholic church just outside the capital Abuja on Christmas Day, claimed by Boko Haram, killed 37 people and wounded 57.
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The main suspect in that attack, Kabiru Sokoto, escaped from police custody within 24 hours of his arrest, and police have offered a 50 million naira ($309,600) reward for information leading to his recapture.
Police arrested him on Tuesday and he escaped when their vehicle came under fire as they were taking him from police headquarters to his house in Abaji, just outside Abuja, to conduct a search there.
Last August a suicide bomber blew up the U.N. Nigeria headquarters in Abuja, killing at least 24 people.
There were two explosions in the southern state of Bayelsa in the oil-producing Niger Delta late on Friday but no one was killed. Local police said the attacks were not linked to Boko Haram.
Bayelsa, the home state of President Goodluck Jonathan, is holding a governorship election next month. Troops have been deployed in the state in recent weeks to stem any political unrest.
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Comments (4)
boko haram conflict
too ear
Too early for the government of Nigeria who haven't shown any military might to disarm or stop mass murderers to negotiate with them. what are we paying huge army, police and intelligent community in the country for. it exposes their incompetence to defend their fellow citizens they are paid for. the government first need to show strenght and willingness to deal with the murders like booko haram with all their might and weaken their network before negotiation if George Bush had not shown the might of USA military Obama couldnot have caught Osama.
if the government uses this approach of first negotition it would turn out a business in Nigeria.
also am suspicious of the negotiators some of whom might be pro boko haram or capitalizing on their role as negotiator as a business in that wise will negotiate the conflict for life to their advantage.
we dont need to internationalize the conflict nigeria and the different interest groups are complicated for a non nigeria to comprehend to be able negotiate conflicts. even those born in nigeria and leave abroad for long are not in position mediate such conflicts talkless of a non nigerian.
Anti Chist is real.
In the Bible, 1John 2:18; It reads, "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time". With the above scriptures at heart let us get back to the Lord for revival, in order to move ahead in doing the will of God. He alone has the answer to our many questions.
WAKE UP CALL
It is imperative for the leaders of today Nigeria to note that their main priority of governing the citizens of the country is to keep people safe and secured, hence adequate resources should be geared towards achieving this major objective. The trend of this so called Boko Haram has been going on for sometime now,instead of our government to take this matter so seriously, they decide to compound another matter of removal of oil subsidy on top of insecurity in the country. History will juge every government on their contribution to Nigeria.Some people citizise Obasanjo civilian regime but one major achievement to his credit is enhancement of communication facility throughout the nation by cellular phones.All Nigerians are free to obtain and use phone every where in the country.What will be the legacy of Jonathan administration? Is it going to be enhancement of adequate security nationwide or providing stable energy nationwide or allowing one trouble to fall upon another as we currently witness in the society? I believe the leader need to step up to the plate and make changes otherwise he may be changed through impeachement process no matter which party such leader hails from because their is provision in the constitution that will make it happen.Nigeria has never witness this alarming rate of terrorism, we heard about fraud,greed and embezzlement of money,but not wasting innocent souls because our government could not provide resources to capture and deal with these callous perpetrators.The current killing of innocent souls in the place of worship should be an embarrasement to all Nigerians in general and the government in particular.
why boko haram killing innocent soul
Am sympathezing with the families of those who lost their life in the recent kano bomb attack, to Nigerian's leader pls and pls, discuss the matter to end crisis in Nigeria. you may ask what is the matter, is the issue of job creation to the timming, no matter how the problems of insecurities will reduce.
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