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March 6-13, 2015

Media Monitoring Report for Nigeria
Posted on March 13, 2015

Compiled by Julia Kushnir

Report Content:

1) Boko Haram Attacks
2) Shifts in the Boko Haram Insurgency
3) Regional/Governmental Responses to Boko Haram
4) Growing IDP Crisis

1) Boko Haram Attacks

Maiduguri Explosions Death Toll Rises to 62 as Five Die in Fresh Bombing
This Day, 9 March 2015

  • The Borno State Commissioner of Police, Clement Adoda, had revealed a few hours after the explosions at three spots in the Borno State capital that 58 persons were killed and 139 persons injured

Boko Haram Kills Eight in Borno Highway Ambush
Punch, 10 March 2015

  • Eight persons were killed and 15 others injured in a highway ambush by Boko Haram members
  • One of the survivors said one of the terrorists pretended to be crossing the road on a horse in order to slow down the vehicles on the highway while the other insurgents, who had taken position in the surrounding bushes, opened fire on the unsuspecting travellers

Boko Haram Attacks Borno Town, Kills Nine
Punch, 6 March 2015

  • Nine persons were killed in an attack by suspected members of the terrorist sect, Boko Haram, on Shani town in Borno State
  • An anonymous resident lamented that the insurgents also left several residents of the town injured, even as they destroyed many houses and vehicles in the council headquarters
  • “They were equally alleged to have abducted several youths from the area,” said the source. o For what purpose? Conversion to extremism? Recruitment to the insurgency?
2) Key Shifts in Boko Haram Insurgency

Boko Haram Pledges Allegiance to Islamic State
Punch, 8 March 2015

  • The leader of Nigeria’s Boko Haram militants, Abubakar Shekau, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group in an audio recording released Saturday
  • Shekau was not pictured, a contrast from most of Boko Haram’s past messages in which the Islamist leader has been shown, often in close up shots
3) Regional/Governmental Responses to Boko Haram Insurgency

Shekau’s Allegiance to ISIS Changes Nothing- Nigerian Army
Punch, 9 March, 2015

  • The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said the military was in control of the situation in the North-East
  • “Shekau’s public allegiance to IS clearly indicates that he may surrender or be killed in the ongoing joint military operations of Nigeria and three neighbouring countries of Chad, Cameroon and Niger,” Usman said.

Boko Haram-IS Pledge is Act of Desperation, says Government
Guardian, Lagos-based Daily, 10 March 2015

  • As Troops from Nigeria, Cameroun, Chad and Niger have claimed a series of successes against the militants since last month, the announced pledge seems to be an act more of desperation than of strength
  • Security analysts have said the pledge of allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr alBaghdadi may only have propaganda value in the short term but in the future could lead to closer links
  • The military squeeze, however, has not stopped the violence, with Boko Haram reverting increasingly to guerrilla tactics in urban areas

Regional Troops Retake Damasak from Boko Haram
Guardian, Lagos-based Daily, 9 March 2015

  • Troops from Chad and Niger have retaken the northeastern Nigerian town of Damasak as part of regional efforts to combat the Islamists
  • According to the source, some 200 Boko Haram fighters were left dead in the offensive that began Sunday, while 10 Chadian soldiers were killed and 20 wounded
  • Some experts also said the pledge of allegiance to IS, which is also being forced on the defensive in Iraq, could be a result of the military pressure
4) Growing Internally Displaced Persons Crisis

Borno cautions IDPs against hasty return
Punch, Lagos-based Daily, 7 March 2015

  • The Borno Government on Saturday advised Internally Displaced Persons whose communities had been reclaimed by the military to exercise restraint in rushing back home
  • This is in view of the fear of dangerous reptiles and landmines planted by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in such communities
  • Evidently, as the IDP crisis mounts, and it remains too dangerous for these individuals to return home, the situation is becoming dire

Over 1250 Trapped Mafa Residents Relocated to Maiduguri
This Day, 10 March 2015

  • Over 1,250 trapped residents of Mafa local government area in Borno state were on Tuesday relocated to the state capital Maiduguri by the local government officials in conjunction with the Nigerian military

UNHCR Tasks Stakeholders on Protection of IDPs Against Abuse
This Day, 5 March 2015

  • Head of Bauchi Sub-Office, Mr. Cesar Tshilombo said the security challenge affecting Nigeria, particularly the North-east zone, had displaced thousands of people from their homes, thereby making it difficult to manage IDPs
  • Due to the high number of IDPs in Nigerian communities, some of the IDPs suffered abuses and were often denied access to certain rights
  • Tshilombo said the training was organised to equip stakeholders with the necessary skills on how to effectively protect IDPs under their care, from abuse
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