Haram, have killed no fewer than 582
persons and left many others injured in
several attacks in the North-East since
the appointment of new service chiefs,
Our investigation has
shown.
These attacks are limited to those
reported by the media.
President Goodluck Jonathan sacked the
service chiefs and replaced them with
new ones on January 16, 2014.
Jonathan elevated erstwhile Chief of Air
Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, to the
position of the Chief of Defence Staff.
Badeh replaced Admiral Ola Ibrahim.
Maj.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah was named
the new Chief of Army Staff to replace
Lt.-Gen. Azubike Ihejirika.Rear Admiral
Usman Jibrin took over from Vice-
Admiral Dele Ezeoba as the Chief of
Naval Staff, while Air Vice-Marshal
Adesola Amosu replaced Badeh.
In spite of the change of service chiefs,
Boko Haram's attacks intensified.
On January 26, Boko Haram insurgents
attacked a Catholic church in Waga
Chakawa in Adamawa State and killed
30 worshippers.
The Catholic Bishop of Yola, Mamza
Stephen, said, "Some people tried to
escape through the windows and the
attackers shot at them. They cut
peoples' throats."
He said the militants set off bombs,
before burning houses and taking
residents hostage during the four-hour
siege.
By the end of January, the sect had
killed over 115 people, including the
Catholics, in two communities in Borno
and Adamawa states.
On February 11, the terrorists killed no
fewer than 67 people in Konduga in
Borno State.
On February 15, Boko Haram attacked
Izghe, Gwoza Local Government Area of
Borno State and killed at least 146
people.
The sect also killed 43 pupils on
February 25, 2014, when it attacked the
Federal Government College in Buni
Yadi, Yobe State. The insurgents
reportedly arrived at the college at
about 2am in 11 vans while the pupils
were already asleep.
The death toll of that attack rose to 59
by the next day.
Again, the insurgents attacked Mafa
Local Government Area of Borno State
three times within 24 hours. The attacks
took place between March 1 and March
2.
On the night of March 1, 2014, twin
bomb blasts left 52 people dead in
Maiduguri. While rescue operations
were on at the scene of the blasts,
another set of Boko Haram insurgents
attacked Mainok, a village about 50
kilometres from Maiduguri, killing 39.
On March 2, 35 persons – 32 civilians
and 3 suspected policemen – were killed
during a fierce gunfight between
insurgents and soldiers in Mafa, a
community 45 kilometres east of
Maiduguri.
It was gathered that the insurgents,
armed with AA assault rifles and rocket
propelled grenades, also succeeded in
setting fire to the camp of the soldiers
in the community.
On March 3, Zannah was reported as
saying suspected Boko Haram insurgents
again attacked on a Borno State
community, killing 29 people.
The militants reportedly sent fliers to
notify residents of the attack a week
earlier.
On March 4, 2014, the violent sect
attacked Jakana, a village about 35
kilometres from Maiduguri which shares
border with Mainok, where 40 persons
were killed.
While taking over as the new CDS at the
Defence Headquarters, Abuja on January
20, 2014, Badeh had boasted that the
military would bring the insurgency in
the country to an end before April this
year.
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