02/26/2013
161 deaths due to attacks of Boko Haram in Nigeria since the beginning of the year
France blames Boko Haram for the kidnapping of a family of seven
The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) warns about the ongoing violence caused by the radical Islamist movement Boko Haram in northern Nigeria. "46 people died in attacks of Boko Haram during the last few days alone," said the STP's expert on questions regarding Africa, Ulrich Delius, in Göttingen on Tuesday. A total of 161 people fell victim to terrorist attacks by the radical Islamic group since the beginning of 2013. There are Christians, moderate Muslims, police officers and soldiers among the victims. More than 3,000 Nigerians died in raids and terrorist attacks by the Islamists during the past three years. France now accuses Boko Haram of having abducted a family of seven from the north of Cameroon on February 19, 2013.
Last weekend, 18 people fell victim to politically motivated violence in the federal states of Yobe, Zamfara and Kaduna. Five people were killed during a raid on the village Aduwan Gida (Kaduna State) on February 23. Only a few hours later – on Sunday, the 24th of February – seven Muslims got killed in the village of Beni (Zamfara State). They were shot by 30 heavily armed attackers during their morning prayers. Six more people were killed in an attack on civilian people in the city of Ngalda (Yobe State) on Saturday night.
On February 22, five people were killed and seven more injured in Bagadaza (federal state of Gombe), when gunmen on two motorcycles opened fire on a group of card players and spectators.
On February 20, three people died in a bomb attack in Maiduguri in the federal state of Borna. Two people were injured. A customs station in the same province had been invaded only a few hours before. One of the attackers was killed and seven Christian merchants were injured during the exchange of fire between security forces and the radical Islamic fighters.
Six people were killed on February 19, when suspected Boko Haram fighters attacked a restaurant in Naibawa (Kano State) and caused a bloodbath among the guests, most of whom were Christian merchants travelling through.
