(Image Source: Abracadabra Politics)
BY LAUREN ZIMA
Terrorist group Boko Haram is following through on its promise to attack Christians living in Nigeria, killing a reported 44 people over the past few days.
Boko Haram -- which has ties to Al Qaeda -- wants Islamic Sharia law imposed across Nigeria. About a week ago, the group gave Christians three days to leave the nation’s predominantly Muslim North or be attacked. This came after a Christmas Day church bombing by the group that killed dozens.
A week ago Saturday, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in four Nigerian states due to the escalating violence and imposed a 24-hour curfew. CNN explains what that means on the ground.
“Once a state of emergency is declared in those states, the police are pretty much free to go ahead and arrest whoever they want -- whoever they suspect of being tied to Boko Haram, and certainly that means civil liberties -- always tenuous at best -- are at risk.”
“Police are out there looking for these suspected terrorists, but other than that, there hasn’t been a whole lot done.”
Friday, Al Jazeera reported the government’s already weak hold on keeping the peace seemed to be loosening.
“This former head of a rebel group, who signed a peace deal with the government in 2004, says the attacks could provoke retaliation from the mainly Christian South. He says if it wasn’t for president Goodluck Jonathan, people would already be fighting back.”
“As more people are forced to leave violent areas, there are fears that retaliation might come next.”
And Saturday morning, The Nigerian Tribune said the Christian Association of Nigeria had called on Christians to defend themselves.
“The National President of CAN … made this call while reacting to the latest attack on a church in Gombe State where six persons … were killed. He said, ‘We call on Christians in any part of the country to defend themselves whenever they come under attack.’”
The National Post analyzes, predicting Nigeria is heading for only more strife.
“Boko Haram has suddenly emerged as one of Africa’s most virulent terrorist threats. … Preaching a theology of chaos and intolerance, the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group Boko Haram is threatening to plunge Nigeria into a civil war.”
Boko Haram killed a total of 500 people in Nigeria in 2011, according to The Telegraph. In addition to the attacks, Nigeria’s government also faces possible protests from the public over the removal of fuel subsidies and doubling of fuel prices in the country.
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