Article contentSuleiman Chukuba, chairman of Shiroro local government area in Niger state, which borders Abuja, said Boko Haram fighters were now present in at least eight wards out of a total 25. “Shiroro local government has an uncountable number of Boko Haram fighters,” Chukuba said. Boko Haram, whose name roughly translates as “Western education is forbidden,” has waged an insurgency since 2009, joined more recently by its offshoot, Islamic State West Africa Province. The fighting has killed almost 350,000 and displaced millions, according to a United Nations estimate..Shiroro has a population of 331,000 people and spans 4,700 square kilometers, according to Niger state’s official website. Niger state information commissioner Muhammad Sani Idris confirmed that Boko Haram fighters, who were initially thought to be armed bandits, had made inroads in the state.

Source: National Post October 03, 2021 21:11 UTC