19 Slaughtered in Latest Boko Haram Attack

19 people have been slaughtered in the North Eastern province of Borno, Nigeria, in what is a suspected attack by the brutal militia group, Boko Haram. 

Sunday's attack took place on the
Borno-Cameroon border

In the early hours of Sunday morning, a gang of men on motorcycles formed a roadblock near Logumani, a town close to the Nigeria-Cameroon border. Armed with Kalashnikovs, the men ordered any unfortunate driver who encountered them, out of their car and onto the ground. One survivor, named only as Buba, told AFP reporters "We were asked to get out of our vehicles by nine men dressed as soldiers at about 5 am... they shot dead five people and went about slaughtering 14 others before someone called them on the phone that soldiers were heading their way." Another man 

Whilst the Boko Haram have not come forward to claim responsibility for the attack, survivors have told officials and journalists that their assailants were indeed members of the infamous militia. Despite wearing military uniforms, Buba cited their beards as an indicator they were not soldiers before adding "Everyone in the area knows Boko Haram are on the prowl, raiding villages and attacking vehicles."

Almost 2,000 people have been killed by the insurgents in the last two years alone with a high proportion of their victims children, due to their preference to target schools which they regard as symbols of the West. The name Boko Haram translates as "Western education is forbidden" which explains the group's propensity towards targeting schools which they view as Western symbols. Last month, the militants descended on an agricultural school, slaughtering almost 50 students.


Officially the group are fighting to establish an Islamic state in the North-East where there is a predominantly Muslim population. However, the fact the group is comprised of a number of militant factions along with the sheer brutality and disposition to target the weak and vulnerable, indicate they are little more than a gang of thugs. 

Thankfully, a tough military offensive launched earlier this year along with huge cooperation from the general public through the formation of local vigilante groups and informers, means Boko Haram's power has waned and they have been forced to the more remote areas of the North East. However, the attack on Sunday showed the group are still lingering on the sidelines, and until the group is eradicated, the people of North East Nigeria cannot be safe.

Lora

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