October 1, 2013:
The Boko Haram terror campaign in the northeast (mainly Borno state) has killed nearly three-hundred in the last month and is mainly done to discourage civilians from opposing the Islamic terrorists or assisting the security forces or government defense measures (like local armed defense militias). Boko Haram has also been doing a lot of looting. In the last few months this has included thousands of cattle and goats, plus whatever manufactured goods they can haul away. Vehicles and fuel are also sought, as well as young women (for housekeeping and whatever). The army is having a hard time tracking down the Boko Haram camps, although those that are found are destroyed. In those cases the terrorists usually spot the oncoming troops and flee.
September 29, 2013: In the southeast (Benue state) tribal violence left over thirty dead in the last two days. It began on the 28th, when nomadic Faluni attacked a farming village and killed ten. The Idoma farmers got organized and the next day attacked a Fulani camp, killing over twenty. This sort of tribal violence has been going on for as long as anyone can remember. The Idoma are farmers, while the Fulani tend herds of cattle and are usually Moslem, while the Idona are largely Christian. The two groups constantly argue over land and water.
In the north (Yobe state) two dozen armed men, dressed as soldiers, arrived at a rural college at night. Students and staff who saw the armed men drive up thought it was soldiers arriving to protect the school from Boko Haram men known to be operating in the area. But the armed men were Boko Haram and they began to shoot at anyone they could find. The gunmen killed forty-two people before all the surviving students and staff had fled into the nearby forests. Most of the students were asleep when the shooting began and some were killed in their sleep. All the victims were Moslem. The gunmen destroyed some school property, did some looting, and left.
September 27, 2013: A Nigerian Islamic terrorist group (Ansaru) released a video to prove that a French engineer they had kidnapped last December was still alive and ready to be exchanged for a large ransom. France will not pay because they know the money will fund more terrorism and encourage more kidnappings. Ansaru (for Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis Sudan or "Vanguards for the Protection of Muslims in Black Africa") is a Boko Haram splinter group that has become more active recently after first declaring its existence in 2012. Ansaru objects to the Boko Haram tactics of killing lots of Moslems and wants to concentrate on attacks that only kill foreigners or non-Moslem Nigerians. It is unclear how large Ansaru is and how much violence within Boko Haram, if any, will result from the split. It is believed that there is considerable strife between Boko Haram leaders, with many strong-willed men, each with an armed following, trying to control the entire movement. At the moment most of these disagreements are put aside. Ansaru appears to be very small, perhaps only a hundred or so members, and more interested (than Boko Haram) in working closely with Islamic terror groups operating elsewhere in Africa. This may encourage other extremist factions in Boko Haram to split off and create even more radical and violent groups like Ansaru.
September 26, 2013: In the northeast (Borno state) Boko Haram gunmen attacked twice in the past two days near the Cameroon border, killing twenty-seven civilians. These were pure terror attacks meant to discourage civilians from opposing Boko Haram or assisting the government.
In the northeast (Yobe state) Boko Haram attacked a Christian church, killing the clergyman and two children and burning down the church.
September 25, 2013: Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau appeared on a new video on the Internet to refute army claims that they had killed him during a June 30th raid. Abubakar Shekau encourages attacks on schools and killing teachers, although he has urged his followers to avoid killing children. The army responded to the new video by pointing out that the man claiming to be Abubakar Shekau was not clearly shown and his voice could not be clearly heard.
