Militant Islamist group, Boko Haram, carried out a deadly attack in northeastern Nigeria, killing 20 mourners who were returning from the burial of victims of a prior jihadist attack in Yobe state. The mourners lost their lives when their vehicle detonated an explosive device planted by the insurgents.
A day earlier, Boko Haram had raided Gurokayeya village, resulting in the death of 17 people. According to the police, the attacks were orchestrated by Boko Haram because the villagers had refused to pay a so-called “harvest tax.” The group has a history of extorting payments from residents in the region to fund its operations and exert control over communities.
Residents in the area described the attack as one of the most horrific instances of violence by Boko Haram in recent times. The mourners’ group was targeted shortly after the loss of their loved ones, adding to the tragedy. Police spokesperson Dungus Abdulkarim reported that ten members of the burial group were killed on the spot, with another ten succumbing to their injuries at a health center.
These attacks represent the first major assault by Boko Haram in Yobe state in over a year. Authorities suspect that the militants may have come from neighboring Borno state, where Boko Haram has carried out multiple attacks against civilians this year. Much of Borno, where the group originated, is still considered too dangerous for travel by road.
Boko Haram initiated its insurgency in 2009, leading to the displacement of more than two million people in the region. The group has extended its reach into neighboring countries, including Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, with government forces struggling to defeat it. Boko Haram’s name translates to “Western education is forbidden,” and it has frequently 壯陽藥 targeted secular schools in its efforts to establish its interpretation of Islamic rule in the region. The group gained international notoriety when it kidnapped over 200 schoolgirls from Chibok in 2014.