Boko Haram Slaughters 1,000 Christians and Muslims in First 100 Days of New Nigerian President's Reign

By Stoyan Zaimov, Christian Post Reporter Friday, September 04, 2015

Returnees queue during the evacuation of Nigerians displaced by Boko Haram militants, at a camp for displaced people in Geidam, Yobe state, Nigeria, May 6, 2015. Niger has evacuated Nigerians living around Lake Chad, military and aid officials told Reuters on Tuesday, as the armies of four west African nations battle to quash the Islamist militants.

Nkeki Mutah, father of one of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls, speaks at a meeting to review efforts to recover the abducted Chibok girls organised by the Chibok Community Association in collaboration with the #BringBackOurGirls campaign, in Abuja, January 1, 2015. Parents of 200 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by Islamist Boko Haram rebels in April said they were appealing directly to the United Nations for help after losing hope that the Nigerian government would rescue them.

Map of the Lake Chad area in Central Africa locating recent attacks by Boko Haram militants.

A signboard rests against a wall in a compound in Michika town, after the Nigerian military recaptured it from Boko Haram, in Adamawa state May 10, 2015.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari speaks during the opening ceremony for the Summit of Heads of State and Governments of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, Nigeria June 11, 2015. New Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari met his regional counterparts in Abuja on Thursday to set up a joint military force against Boko Haram, the latest sign of his intent to crush the Islamist militant group early in his tenure. The 72-year-old former military ruler, who was inaugurated just two weeks ago, welcomed the leaders of neighboring Chad, Niger and Benin for the impromptu one-day summit at Abuja airport. Cameroon sent its defense minister.

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Over 1,000 people have been killed by terror group Boko Haram in the first 100 days of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari's reign, while close to 2.1 million have been internally displaced. Buhari had promised that he would find a way to drive out the Islamic terror group from his country, but so far the terror group's raids have continued in full force.

The International Organization for Migration revealed on Friday that displaced people have risen to 2.1 million in the northeastern states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe, as well as the central state of Nassarawa and Abuja.

"The increase ... can be attributed to the intensification of attacks carried out by the insurgents, as well as to improved access to previously inaccessible areas of Borno state, where the IDP population is now well over 1.6 million," IOM said.

The terror group has heavily targeted both Christians and moderate Muslims in its attacks across Nigeria since 2009. It has also been carrying out raids in neighboring countries, and killed close to 30 people in an attack on a market and infirmary in northern Cameroon on Thursday, CNN reported.

The terror group has reportedly been changing its tactics, focusing more on quick raids on towns rather than battles with government troops, which it had been losing.

Buhari, who came to power on May 29, has promised that Boko Haram will be defeated as early as December of this year.

"The end to Boko Haram insurgency is also imminent. The president is working assiduously to achieve that soon just as he promised," Femi Adesina, special adviser to the president on media and publicity, said in an interview back in August.

"The president has said the deadline to defeat Boko Haram is December this year. The president made a promise in July that Boko Haram would be defeated in 18 months, now he has changed it to December this year. He is the commander in chief and he has a wider view of the whole thing."

Boko Haram, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, has killed close to 15,000 people since 2009.

Many of the displaced people in Nigeria live at camp-like communities, where they are in need of food and basic necessities.

"Many IDPs, especially in host communities, have yet to receive basic items including food and shelter," said Enira Krdzalic, IOM Nigeria chief of mission.

"It is very important for the authorities and humanitarian partners to speed up the delivery of adequate assistance to these people," she added.

Christians have suffered heavily at the hands of the terror group, with a Nigerian pastor and president of the Church of the Brethren describing how he has lost as many as 8,000 members of the congregations he oversees, while 70 percent of his churches have been destroyed.