Boko Haram Deadlier Than ISIS: What We Know About Nigerian Terrorist Group
The Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed attack after attack over the past few weeks -- from a bomb in a Russian plane, to a terrorist attack in Beirut, to coordinate terrorist attacks in Paris. While the media is in a frenzy and countries are declaring war, there is a terrorist group far more dangerous.
As reported by The Washington Post, while everyone has been looking into the ISIS and their plans, in Yola, Nigeria, at least 34 people were killed and 80 more were wounded in a suicide bombing on Wednesday. According to the police two more suicide bombers killed at least 15 people in the city of Kano in northern Nigeria and injured another 53 later the same day, although Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency reported numbers over a hundred.
These blasts were not made by ISIS, but rather, by Boko Haram, Nigeria's own Islamist extremist group. While not much is known about them, they have operated for six years, killing an estimated 20,000 people and forcing another 2.3 million out of their own homes.
By note of the Global Terrorism Index, Boko Haram has been named as the world's deadliest extremist group, as deaths attributed to them increased by 317 percent in 2014 -- 6,644 deaths, compared to the Islamic State's 6,073. However, the group has pledged its allegiance to ISIS is unclear whether or not they are assisting beyond publicity. All in all, both terrorist groups were responsible for half of all the global deaths attributed to terrorism, according to the report from the Institute of Economics and Peace.
The New York Times reported that Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has called for citizens to remain vigilant even as military operations against Boko Haram has been intensified. A statement released Wednesday read, "President Buhari reassures Nigerians that his administration is very much determined to wipe out Boko Haram in Nigeria and bring all perpetrators of these heinous crimes against humanity to justice.
This is the third year that the Institute of Economics and Peace has released its Global Terrorism Index, which studies terrorist activity around the world, based on data collected by the University of Maryland.
According to the report and estimated $117 billion was spent worldwide to fight terrorism, and two countries -- Cameroon and Ukraine -- have seen a spike in terrorism-related deaths in 2014, reaching over 500 deaths, compared to the previous year when it had none at all.
Boko Haram has ravaged the northeastern part of Nigeria, with Yola alone being hit by its third suicide bombing in as many months -- tearing families and relations apart as survivors search for their missing loved ones, at times, finding them in the morgue.