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11 September 2014

NIGERIA: BOKO HARAM ADVANCES AS THOUSANDS FLEE

Boko Haram 
“The people are fleeing to Maiduguri and Yola, but the Boko Haram advance appears headed toward these cities”, said to MISNA Father Timothy Cosmas, head of the Justice and Peace Commission of the local diocese, after another conquest by the Islamist fighters in north-east Nigeria.

“Boko Haram now controls a large portion of territory in the States of Borno and Adamawa. There are 150km between the city of Bama and Michika, which was the latest town to fall”, explained Fr. Timothy. According to the priest, the withdrawal of troops after Sunday’s fighting heightened fears of a further advance by the Islamist fighters toward Yola, capital of Adamawa. “I spoke with the soldiers returning from the front and they could not understand why the four warplanes available to troops in that sector didn’t enter in action during the battle for Michika”, said Fr. Timothy.

The armed forces over the weekend reported the death of at least 50 Boko haram members, killed in battle near the town of Kawuri. After the proclamation of a “caliphate” following the conquest of Gwoza at the end of August, also Gulak and Madagali were seized last week. “Boko Haram has seized control of at least five local administrations”, added Fr. Timothy. Both local and international sources in fact fear that this could mark a new phase in respect to the “hit and run” attacks begun in 2009.

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