Boko Haram’s Last Stronghold: Taken by Nigerian Forces

By Alison Lesley --
27 Apr 2015 --

Boko Haram has killed over 5,000 civilians between 2009 and 2015. Their last stronghold was recently overtaken by Nigeria.

Boko Haram, which means “Group of the People of Sunnah for Preaching and Jihad,” is a group that branches from the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) in Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon. Their many fallen strongholds have been searched in the hunt for a group of 200 secondary school girls that were kidnapped from Chibok, a village about 60 miles away from the Sambisa Forest of Nigeria. They were kidnapped a year ago, and many are still searching for them. It is believed that they are being held in the Sambisa Forest because of its proximity.

After six years of insurgency, the armies of Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger have been working to push these insurgents back and remove the Islamic state that the Boko Haram forces are attempting to enforce. These men have kidnapped hundreds of people and killed thousands. Less than two weeks ago, 12 people had their throats slit in Gwoza, even as the army attempted to evacuate the area. Though the Boko Haram once controlled a Belgium-sized territory of the state, they have lost a lot of the ground throughout the battle.

According to two military sources, they are lining up to attack the forest on each side. An official in the Chadian army said that Cameroonian and Chadian troops were preparing, even as Chadian troops accumulated in Mora to head off the northern side of Cameroon. They believe that the militants in the Sambisa forest may be using the girls for shields, though United States has previously sent in recon drones that had failed to find them.

#BBOGCountdownToMay29 invades Sambisa Forest and conquers Boko Haram, our girls among other victims will be rescued on or before the
— #BringBackOurGirls (@BBOG_Nigeria) April 27, 2015

Due to the amount of unrest and violence, President Goodluck Jonathan was unable to secure another term during the March 28 election against Muhammadu Buhari. Buhari has stated that, though he cannot make it a promise, he would do everything he could to bring home the Chibok girls that were taken last year.