Boko Haram at a glance
- Founded in 2002
- Official Arabic name, Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati wal-Jihad, means "People Committed to the Propagation of the Prophet's Teachings and Jihad"
- Leader: Abubakar Shekau, Dan Hajia, Abba, Abatcha Flatari, Momodu Bama, Mohammed Yusuf.
- Area of Operations: Northern Nigeria, Northern Cameroon, Northen Niger, Chad.
- Allies: Ansaru, Al-Qaeda in Islamic Naghreb
- Initially focused on opposing Western education
- Nicknamed Boko Haram, a phrase in the local Hausa language meaning, "Western education is forbidden"
- Launched military operations in 2009 to create an Islamic state
- Founding leader Mohammed Yusuf (above) killed in same year in police custody
- Succeeded by Abubakar Shekau
- Military claims to have killed Shekau have turned out to be untrue
Gallery
Reference:
- "Profile of Nigeria's Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau". BBC News. 22 June 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- "Innermost thoughts of The Islamist group Boko Haram". Reporters Without Borders.
- Cook, David (26 September 2011). "The Rise of Boko Haram in Nigeria". Combating Terrorism Centre. Retrieved 2012-01-12.