Boko Haram is a terrorist organization
with its roots in northeastern Nigeria,
linked to insurgency stemming from
north Cameroon and Niger Republic.
"Boko Haram" is a Hausa name which
translates roughly as "Western
education is forbidden," while the real
Arabic name translates as "The
Congregation of the People of
Tradition for Proselytism and Jihad".
The sect was founded in 2002 by the
late Mohammed Yusuf who was
captured and executed by Nigerian
security forces in 2009. Until the
government clamped down on the
sect’s activities in 2009, the operations
conducted by the sect were more or
less peaceful. Since Abubakar Shekau,
a former deputy to Yusuf’s era, violent
attacks have escalated in terms of both
frequency and intensity. The sect seeks
to establish a "pure" Islamic state ruled
by sharia, putting a stop to what it
deems Westernization. It proposes that
interaction with the Western world is
forbidden, and also supports
opposition to the Muslim
establishment and the government of
Nigeria. The group is known for
attacking Christians, Muslim clerics and
government targets, as well as for
bombing churches, mosques, schools
and police stations. The group is also
notorious for kidnappings. Violence
linked to the Boko Haram insurgency
has resulted in an estimated 10,000
deaths between 2002 and 2013. On
November 13, 2013 the United States
government designated the group a
terrorist organization. On 22 May 2014,
the United Nations Security Council
added Boko Haram to its list of
designated al-Qaeda entities, bringing
"funding, travel and weapons
sanctions" against the terrorist group.
On 22 May 2014 Boko Haram was
officially declared a terrorist group
affiliated to Al-Qaeda and Al-Qaeda in
the Islamic Maghreb by the United
Nations Security Council. International
sanctions including asset freeze, travel
ban and arms embargo were imposed
against the Islamist extremist group. It
was reported in August 2013 that
Shekau had been shot and deposed by
members of his sect, but he survived.
He has taken responsibility for the
April 2014 kidnapping of over 200
school girls. On 6 May 2014, eight more
girls were kidnapped by suspected
Boko Haram gunmen. Funding sources
for Boko Haram are not certain, but is
believed to be partially funded by
bank robberies and by other Islamist
groups.