Suspected Islamists attack Nigerian village

At least 25 people were killed in new suspected Boko Haram attacks in northeastern Nigeria, with many villagers forced to flee their homes. Two other villages close to Maikadiri in southern Borno state were also attacked. The extremists used to live in the villages before joining Boko Haram, and they may have been taking their revenge on their former neighbors. The villages hit are on the fringes of the vast Sambisa forest, a longstanding hideout of the Islamist insurgents.

The attacked their community because they would not let them back when the army attacked their camps. Those who tried to come back were denounced and arrested by the authorities.

Maina Ularamu, chief of the Madagali district

The Nigerian army led a series of raids against them in recent months, succeeding in freeing several dozen women and children from the hands of the jihadists. Several state officials in the region have said this week that Boko Haram is still active in the forest despite the military offensive against them. The Boko Haram insurgency and efforts to quell it have claimed more than 15,000 lives and displaced 1.5 million people since 2009. A new wave of violence has already killed more than 800 since Nigeria’s new President Muhammadu Buhari took office in May pledging to stamp out the Islamists.

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