Boko Haram Has Killed 381 victims in Nigeria, Cameroon last 5 Months, Amnesty International; as Freed Commander makes Jest of the Army, says ‘we’re still in Sambisa’ 40 days after Buratai’s Order.

International Human Rights body, Amnesty International (AI) has revealed that Boko Haram Terrorists have killed no less than 381 civilians in the last five months in Cameroon and Nigeria since April 2017 in Cameroon and Nigeria.

It said the killings which were perpetrated through suicide bomb attacks, ambushes and deadly shootings in public places, resulted in millions being in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and protection as attacks and increased insecurity hamper aid efforts.

In a statement by its Media Manager in Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International disclosed that the resurgence in Boko Haram attacks and suicide bombings in Cameroon and Nigeria so far resulted in 381 civilians deaths in the five months since the start of April 2017, with casualties more than double the previous five months.

It stated that from data collected by the organization, a sharp rise in civilian deaths in the Far North region of Cameroon and the Nigerian states of Borno and Adamawa has been driven by the armed group’s increased use of suicide bombers, often using women and girls who are forced to carry explosives into crowded areas.

 “Boko Haram is once again committing war crimes on a huge scale, exemplified by the depravity of forcing young girls to carry explosives with the sole intention of killing as many people as they possibly can,” said Alioune Tine, Amnesty International’s Director for West and Central Africa.

“This wave of shocking Boko Haram violence, propelled by a sharp rise in suicide bombings, highlights the urgent need for protection and assistance for millions of civilians in the Lake Chad region. Governments in Nigeria, Cameroon and beyond must take swift action to protect them from this campaign of terror.”

In the statement entitled ‘Northeastern Nigeria: Mass killings and abductions’, AI said Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria have killed at least 223 civilians since April, though the real figure may be higher as some attacks may have gone unreported.

It said between May and August, seven times’ more civilians were killed than in the preceding four months, while 100 civilians were killed in August alone.

“The deadliest recent attack came on 25 July, when the armed group shot dead 40 people and abducted three others in an ambush on an oil exploration team in the Magumeri area of Borno state.

“Boko Haram suicide bombers have killed at least 81 people in Nigeria since April, while 67 people have been abducted – mostly women and girls – since the start of the year.

“There have been two reports of raids on villages in August, in which Boko Haram fighters rounded up and shot civilians, burned down homes and stole from people’s houses, shops and markets.

Giving a record of weekly suicide attacks in far North region of Cameroon, Amnesty International said, “in Cameroon, Boko Haram have killed at least 158 civilians since April – four times more than in the preceding five months.”

“The recent spike in casualties has been driven by increased suicide attacks, with 30 – more than one per week – carried out since the beginning of April.”

“The deadliest attack took place in Waza on 12 July, when 16 civilians were killed and at least 34 injured after a young girl was forced to carry and detonate a bomb in a crowded video game Centre.”

“The town of Kolofata, in the Mayo-Sava district, has been especially targeted with nine attacks since April. Mora, the second largest urban Centre in the Far North region, has also been hit three times.”

“The displacement of Boko Haram fighters from the Sambisa Forest in Nigeria to the Mandara Mountains in Cameroon, following operations conducted by the Nigerian military, may explain some of the increase in attacks in Cameroon, “it said.

“Across the Lake Chad region, millions of civilians are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance as a result of Boko Haram violence.”

It said a total of 2.3 million people have been displaced across the region. “This includes 1.6 million internally displaced people and refugees in Nigeria and 303,000 in Cameroon. Another 374,000 are displaced in Chad and Niger.”

 Amnesty International also said that “more than seven million people across the region face serious food shortages, including five million in Nigeria and 1.5 million in Cameroon.”

It said there are 515,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition with more than 85% of them in Nigeria.

“The recent increase in insecurity has made humanitarian operations difficult, or even impossible, in some inaccessible areas of northeast Nigeria.

“Governments across the Lake Chad region must increase their efforts to protect the hundreds of thousands of civilians at grave risk of being targeted by Boko Haram violence, abductions and abuses,” said Alioune Tine.

“Meanwhile, the international community should also rapidly scale up its commitment to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to the millions in the region who need it.”

Giving a background, Amnesty International said it has been documenting human rights abuses and serious violations of international humanitarian law that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Boko Haram since 2010.

Amnesty International said it has compiled and analyzed media reports of Boko Haram attacks and casualties, which demonstrate a sharp increase in activities since April 2017 compared to previous months and comparable periods in 2016. It said the real numbers are likely to be higher, with some deaths unreported.

“In 2017, Boko Haram has also killed civilians during at least 10 attacks in the Diffa region of Niger.”

Meanwhile, one of the recently freed Boko Haram Commander is making jest of Nigerian Army, claiming that the sect members celebrated Sallah in Sambisa forest after the 40-day ultimatum issued for the capturing of Abubakar Shekau, its leader.

It will be recalled that last July, the Chief of Army Staff, It. General Yusuf Buratai issued a 40-day ultimatum to Operation Lafiya Dole to capture Shekau dead or alive. But the deadline passed without any success.

A commander of the group, Shuaibu Moni, who was swapped with 82 Chibok girls in May, appeared in a video making jest of the military and issuing threats to Nigerian authorities.

His words, “We have observed the Eid-el-Kabir prayers peacefully with our brothers, wives and children in Sambisa forest under the leadership of Abu-Muhammad -Ibn-Mahammad Abubakar Shekau.

“We thank Almighty Allah for sparing our lives to witness this very wonderful day and good state of health.

“We want to tell the infidels of the world, infidels in Nigeria and even small ants like Buhari and his attack dogs like Kukasheka and Buratai who gave 40-day ultimatum to kill our leader, Abubakar Shekau that here we are celebrating Sallah in Sambisa.

“I also want them to know that killing Shekau is not the end of us. With or without Shekau Boko Haram will remain. They should know we worship God and Shekau is only leading us on the path of service to the Lord.”

“They should know that just as they are giving orders to their military to invade our camps; we are also waiting for Shekau’s orders to invade their barracks, towns and cities at any giving time.

“I have said it before and you have seen what I have done. I am not making empty noise; I guess you know who is talking to you, this is ‘Moni’.

 “You have seen what we did in the university and the city of Maiduguri and other places.”

“We mean everything we are saying, and you should wait we are coming after you. We will never dialogue with the government.”

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