Nigeria: Boko Haram kills four in Amarwa August 13

Event

At least four people were killed after a group of Boko Haram militants torched several buildings during a nighttime raid in Amarwa village (Borno State) on Sunday, August 13. The attack began at approximately 23:00 (local time), and continued past midnight. The death toll may rise as further details emerge about the incident.

Security personnel cordoned off the area and have launched an investigation into the incident.

Context

The northeastern region of Nigeria is highly susceptible to attacks by Boko Haram, which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) in March 2015 and formally adopted the name of Islamic State in West Africa. Al-Barnaoui, son of Mohammed Yusuf - the founder of Boko Haram - was nominated by IS in August 2016 to replace Abubakar Shekau, leader of Boko Haram since 2009. Since then, the two leaders have been leading dissident factions with divergent ambitions, Al-Barnaoui blaming Shekau for massacring civilians rather than focusing on military targets. Amarwa previously came under attack in May 2017, when Boko Haram militants killed six farmers.

Public venues (markets, places of worship, schools, bars, areas where broadcasts of sports competitions are displayed, etc.) as well as security forces and governmental buildings are frequently targeted by attacks, suicide bombings, and kidnappings (regularly followed by assassinations and targeting primarily foreign nationals).

Advice

The security environment in Nigeria is complex and particularly poor in the northeast and extreme south of the country due to the presence of armed groups, high crime rates, and the risk of kidnapping. Some Western governments consequently advise against travel to certain areas of the northeast (e.g. states of Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi, and Jigawa as well as parts of Kano and Adamawa states) and the southern Niger Delta region (e.g. states of Delta, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers). Professional security advice and support should be sought prior to travel to these areas.