By James Wright
Staff Writer
The Nigerian military has restored order after the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram took control of the town of Gudumbali on Sept. 7, according to The Guardian.
This most recent display of violence has raised concerns regarding the security of the country and its ability to withstand such attacks from the group. At least eight civilians are estimated to have been killed and thousands more were forced to flee from their homes in the terrorist group’s first successful seizure of a town in more than two years, according to The Guardian.
“The encounter took place when the insurgents attacked the community, set some buildings ablaze and quickly withdrew from the community,” said Nigerian Army Spokesman Brig Gen Texas Chuwu, according to The Guardian.
Chuwu went on to explain that the military response was sufficient enough to restore order, and that reinforcements have been sent to protect the area.
Boko Haram is a militant Islamist group based in northeast Nigeria, according to The Council of Foreign Relations. Founded in 2002, the group, led by cleric Mohammed Yusuf, aims to establish and maintain Sharia law, which is a legal system that regulates citizens’ public and private behaviors. The group also wishes to implement a strict interpretation of the Quran and their intention is to transform Nigeria into a fundamentalist Islamic state.
The group’s followers, called Yusuffiya, consist mainly of northern Islamic students and clerics, many of whom struggle to find stable and productive work. It is for this reason that many join the group and remain committed to their cause, according to The Council of Foreign Relations.
Boko Haram militants are mainly located in northern Nigeria, specifically in areas such as Borno and Gudumbali. Due to their strict adherence to instituting Sharia law and forming a fundamentalist state, the group forbids participation in Nigerian politics until the system is completely overrun by extremist ideology, according to CNN.
More than nine years of conflict has claimed at least 20,000 lives in northeast Nigeria and has left towns and cities completely ravaged by the terrorist actions of Boko Haram, according to The Guardian.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to get tougher on the extremists in order to completely dispel them from Nigeria. He wants to provide his citizens with more security from the insurgent threat, according to The Guardian.
