Boko Haram has grown from a small terror group to a mini-country with its own territory, which can be compared to gains made by the Islamic State (IS). Boko Haram now controls an area the size of Costa Rica or Slovakia.

The militant group's territory now totals about 52,000 square kilometers, according to an estimate released by The Telegraph.

One of the latest towns to be captured by the group was Baga in the northeastern Nigerian state of Borno, close to Lake Chad. According to witness estimates, Boko Haram militants killed at least 2,000 people there, although the Nigerian military later put the figure at 150.

Amnesty International said the attack could be the deadliest by the group since it surfaced in 2009.

READ MORE: ‘2,000 killed in Nigeria’: Boko Haram’s latest attack deadliest yet, Amnesty says

“For five kilometers, I kept stepping on dead bodies until I reached Malam Karanti village [near Baga], which was also deserted and burnt,” a surviving fisherman told AFP.

The militants currently control over 11 local government areas with more than 1.7 million people, The Telegraph estimated. Their territory stretches from the Mandara Mountains, on the eastern border with Cameroon, to Lake Chad in the north and the Yedseram River in the west.


The group seems to be copying the moves of the Islamic State, which began capturing territories in Syria and Iraq in June 2014.

READ MORE: Boko Haram chief voices support for IS, claims deadly attacks in new video

Now the area controlled by IS is between 39,000 square kilometers (the size of Switzerland) to 90,000 square kilometers (about the size of Portugal), according to various reports.

READ MORE: ISIS declares creation of Islamic state in Middle East, 'new era of international jihad'

After the Islamic State proclaimed its caliphate in June 2014, Boko Haram did the same in the northeastern Nigerian town of Gwoza, which was seized by the extremists in August.

“There is a copy-cat element at work here,” Andrew Pocock, the British high commissioner to Nigeria, told The Telegraph. “If ISIL [now Islamic State, also known as ISIS] can declare a Caliphate, then so can we.”

According to Pocock, the group wants “to be seen by their peers as grown-up jihadis” and to show "we can control territory, we can control a Caliphate.”

“You need a place where you can base yourself and keep equipment and supplies and, indeed, captives. It means that you’ve got to hold territory,” he added.

Boko Haram's attacks are not limited to Nigeria; neighboring Chad and Cameroon are also among the militants' targets. In December, the group approached Cameroon's Far North region. However, the Cameroonian army managed to repel the attacks.

Last April, Boko Haram shocked the world when it kidnapped 276 schoolgirls during a raid on Chibok, a village in the northeast of the country. Its actions led to global condemnation with the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls going viral.

Sixty girls managed to escape. The remaining 219 were converted to Islam and “married off,” said the extremists.

According to the Washington-based Council on Foreign Relations, Boko Haram killed more than 10,000 people in 2014 alone. The violence has displaced more than one million Nigerians.

According to UN estimates released on Tuesday, at least 11,000 people have fled into Chad in a matter of days.

Boko Haram says it wants to enforce Sharia law throughout the country. Nigeria’s population is both Christian and Muslim, approximately 50/50.

Iro pa iro fun iro leave stories for the gods


GMB will soon come and wipe this trash called boko haram stay calm and watch for a couple of weeks when gej &pej & thier pdpigg gangs will leave aso rock


#TEAM FEBUHARI

The enjoy so much freedom under this administration to the extent of having a caliphate.

Blame it on clueless PDP.

We need divine intervention....otouke man ain't doing nothing.....May God deliver his wrath on all corrupt politicians in 2015

fijiano202:
We need divine intervention....otouke man ain't doing nothing.....May God deliver his wrath on all corrupt politicians in 2015

no divine intervention anywhere but numerical power of the electorates.

Yes ISIS control much part of Iraq and Syria , much more or lager than France and Germany . Is a global phenomenon , also al shabba control northern part of Somalia , even Taliban is much active in norther Afghanistan and control much part of Pakistan

Akon419:
Yes ISIS control much part of Iraq and Syria , much more or lager than France and Germany . Is a global phenomenon , also al shabba control northern part of Somalia , even Taliban is much active in norther Afghanistan and control much part of Pakistan

Guy! Why Maitasine didn't acquire so much land?

BUHARI IS NOT THE CHANGE WE WANT DEAREST NIGERIANS, Let me not talk about the PDP's, but THESE ARE THE APC GUBERNATORIAL FLAG - BEARERS: (1) SOKOTO - Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (former PDP) (2) KEBBI - Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (former PDP) (3) KATSINA - Aminu Bello Masari (former PDP) (4) KANO - Umar Abdullahi Ganduje (former PDP) (5) KADUNA - Malam Nasir El-rufa'i (former PDP) (6) JIGAWA - Alh. Abubakar Badaru (former PDP) (7) BAUCHI - Barr. Muhammad Abubakar (former PDP) (cool GOMBE - Alh. Inuwa Yahya (former PDP) (9) NIGER - Abubakar Bello Sani (former PDP) (10) ADAMAWA - Umar Jibrilla Bindow (former PDP) (11) PLATEAU - Mr Simon Lalong (former PDP) (12) BENUE - Dr Samuel Ortom (former PDP) (13) TARABA - Aisha Jummai Alhassan (former PDP) (14) RIVERS - Dakuku Perterside (former PDP) (15) IMO - Rochas Okorocha (former PDP) (16) ENUGU - Okey Ezea (former PDP) (17) ABIA - Dr Nyerere Anyim (former PDP) (18) EBONYI - Dr Steve Egbo (former PDP) NOTE ALSO THAT more than 60% of the State & National Assembly Candidates are also all former PDP members! Let me not also forget to state that AUDU OGBE, APC's chieftain was a former Chairman of PDP (2001-2005). Do I also need to mention Atiku Abubakar? Or Rotimi Ameachi who was a PDP Speaker of Rivers state Assembly for 8 Years then Governor for 7 years? The list goes on and on. If PDP wasted and stole our time and resources for the past 16 years, my dearest citizens, the names listed above and many more are part of these bunch of criminals who stole and wasted these our resources. They were and are part of the people who lied and lie to us. My people, YES! We want change, but if I am a thief in Agbada, would wearing a Nnyika make me not to be a thief? Would I stop being a thief because I changed gang? Some of us will always argue that the states controlled by these thieves are better than the others, but let me ask: Did Ameachi do all he did for Rivers in the past 1 year that he became a memebr of the APC? Was it last year that APC was formed that the transformations in KANO took place or began? Was it APC's Government that did the stuffs in IMO? Dearest Citizens, for 16 years we have been under the PDP's Umbrella. Yes, but which person in this APC has not been in the corridor or close to the coridor of power in these past 16 years? Not only am I so disapointed in us as citizens, I am ashamed to be a part of this generation. We revolved & continue to revolve aroung the same group of people since Independence yet we seem to be comfortable with it. If they're saints as they claim, we wouldnt be where we are today. Do I need to start mentioning their names and potfolios? If I cant mention all, at least I know for a fact that as far back as 1982, Audu Ogbe was not only a speaker of his state assembly, he also was a Minister in Nigeria. Infact, he held two ministerial positions. I also know without doubt that Gen Buhari apart from being a PTF Chairman, rose to become the President of Nigeria as far as 1983. Very resently, Atiku Abubakar was an 8 years Vice President. I cant believe that at 72 some one who was President at 41 wants to be president again. I cant also come to term with my self when ever I read that Gen Yakubu Gowan was about 23 years old when he became Nigerias President. Well, I am above 23 now and I cant even feed myself. My dearest citizens of the Republic, do we continue rotating our leaders and expect to move forward? Do we expect to be in 2015 and have some one who ruled us decades ago rule us? As a child, I heard of Shehu Musa Yar'dua. As a teenager, I had Umaru Musa Yar'dua rule me as president. When do I see Akpan, Taofeek, Olanipekun or Emeka at 25 , 35 or 45 year old be my president? When do we see a 25 or 31 year old Nigerian from any part of Nigeria be governors or senator or even ministers? Dearests, Gen Martin Luther Agwai, the former Chief of Army Staff is now the Chairman of SURE- P. David Mark, former governor of 2 different states is today our Senate President. Tomorow, if PDP no longer favours him, he will join forces with APC or which ever party there is. We are where we are today because our fathers failed in their reponsibilities to plan for us. Are we going to let our children suffer what we suffer by allowing these people rotate offices among themselves? Whether we like it or not, Buhari as a former president recieves a Pension of 22.7 million. Whether you like it or not, when Jonathan completes his tenure, he will also recieve his millions as pension and the cycle will continue. One thing is sure, if Jonathan retains his presidency next year, he will not employ me in his government. One thing is also sure, if Buhari wins, he will not employ you in his government. Who will they then employ? Ofcourse, they will employ the same old crooks to help them out. This is not Change, APC is not change. When we see change, we go know! God Bless Your Hearts! Apc has their slogan as change but on this note i think pdp is the party that represent change because all the old thieves has gone to rival APC