Jihadist Boko Haram Intensifies Its Deadly Campaign in Nigeria · Global Voices
Nwachukwu Egbunike

Smoke and flames billow from the police headquarters car park in Abuja, Nigeria. Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing. Photo by Ayemoba Godswill, copyright Demotix (29/4/2013).
Nigeria is at war with Boko Haram, an Islamic jihadist terrorist movement based in northeast Nigeria, northern Cameroon and Niger that is responsible for thousands of deaths in the last several years.
In recent weeks, the group has intensified their campaign of slaughtering innocent and hapless Nigerians. Last week, members killed over a dozen students who were travelling to write their pre-university entrance examination in Borno State. Boko Haram is suspected to be behind a bus station bomb blast in Nyanya in the capital Abuja, which left more than 70 people killed.
A few days ago, the group abducted about 100 girls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, about 130 kilometers west of Maiduguri in northeast Nigeria.
Last year, Boko Haram opened fire on students at the College of Agriculture in Yobe state, gunning down dozens of students aged 18 to 22 while they slept in a dormitory. A timeline of the organization's killings from 2012 is detailed in this post.
Many Nigerian netizens, shocked by these latest crimes, have blamed President Goodluck Jonathan for the deteriorating security situation in the country:
While The Federal Government and its security chiefs have perfected how to write condolence speeches, BOKO HARAM continues to grow..
— Aaliyah (@TalesMallory) April 16, 2014
Others think the president is not doing enough:
Boko Haram does as it pleases and the President is busy making silly campaign speeches. The irresponsibility, the rascality is unbelievable!
— Malcolm O. Ifi, Esq. (@saymalcolm) April 16, 2014
@toluogunlesi praised Nigeria's National Security Adviser Colonel Sambo Dasuki:
To his credit Dasuki launched impressive anti-terror strategy last month. If only presentations saved lives | http://t.co/43eHCCBDwP
— tolu ogunlesi (@toluogunlesi) April 14, 2014
Who finances Boko Haram, asked Henry Bature Okelue:
I hope one day, the government will one day announce to us the unmasking of the financier and mastermind behind Boko Haram.
— Henry Bature Okelue (@4eyedmonk) April 14, 2014
Nigeria states where Boko Haram operates. Photo released under Creative Commons by Wikipedia user Bohr.
One Twitter user called for the slaughter of all Boko Haram members:
Murder is the only acceptable resolution in this case. Every single member of Boko Haram should be slaughtered.
— #Kayode (@Unkle_K) April 16, 2014
Horror for the killing and anguish for the victims:
i still don't understand how boko haram abducted 200 girls from a school, i'm still just spinning
— Apollonian (@jvson_) April 16, 2014
# BokoHaram upducting 100 girls is an abomination. Goodluck Jonathan must now declare full scale military war on BokoHaram. Wipe them out.
— Alphayo Nyakundi (@AlphayoNyakundi) April 16, 2014
@onigabby1 wondered if Nigeria still exists:
Is Nigeria still Nigeria? Or federal republic of boko haram. My condolence to victim of the bomb blast.
— ONI GABRIEL (@onigabby1) April 16, 2014
What is the solution?:
“@9ja_travel: solution to this Boko haram terrorism?”There is really no solution, d spate of their activities can only be reduced.
— kolawole olawole (@kholarr_ola) April 16, 2014
@LovBwise urged activists to protest:
Twitter activists can we please protest this weekend against the sponsors of boko haram?
— MaXiNze (@LovBwise) April 16, 2014
@opinion_river took a measured stance:
President Goodluck Jonathan did not create Boko-Haram. The sect existed before his coming into power. But he has not done enough to crush it
— opinion_river (@opinion_river) April 16, 2014
Some called for prayer:
Please let take 5 minutes between 12-12.05noon to say this Prayer:- GOD send help to the defenceless girls abducted by Boko Haram in Borno
— Mz. ‘Damie (@queensaldam) April 16, 2014
While others called for more than prayer:
So while praying for those plagued by Boko Haram, strategy MUST come forth from the place of prayer. #noxveritas
— Abdul Masih (@damilar3) April 16, 2014
User @naitwt held out hope:
Last RT. The terrorists + their sponsors & sympathizers come to Distract, Demoralize & Destroy – but they will Fail & We will Prevail
— Noel Ihebuzor (@naitwt) April 15, 2014