Militant Islamists group Boko Haram of Nigeria attacked Borno State

Suspected militant Islamists group Boko Haram attacked a town in north-east of Borno State of Nigeria on 2 March 2014.

The attack led to killing of about 150 people in Borno. The militant Islamist group Boko Haram is waging an insurgency in Nigeria.

President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in Borno to give the military extra powers to curb the four-year insurgency.

Maiduguri, the birthplace of Boko Haram, has been badly affected by the conflict.

Both the Nigerian army and Boko Haram have repeatedly been accused by rights groups of committing atrocities during the conflict in the region.

About Boko Haram

Boko Haram refers itself as Nigerian Taliban. It is a Nigeria-based group that seeks to overthrow the current Nigerian Government and replace it with a regime based on Islamic law. It is popularly known in Nigerian and Western media as Boko Haram.

Boko Haram means Western education is forbidden. The group has existed in various forms since the late 1990s. The group suffered setbacks in July 2009 when clashes with Nigerian Government forces led to the deaths of hundreds of its members, including former leader Muhammad Yusuf.