Boko Haram: Behind the Rise of Nigeria's Armed Group

An investigation into the origins and ideology of the rebel group and its bloody rise.

Since 2010, people in northeastern Nigeria have lived in constant fear of being attacked.

In the past years, Nigeria's rebel group Boko Haram  has repeatedly attacked schools, churches, mosques and markets, but state institutions such as police stations and military facilities have remained primary targets.

 

The group provoked global outrage in April 2014 when they kidnapped 276 schoolgirls in Chibok, northeastern Nigeria. The kidnapping received global condemnation and sparked the solidarity campaign #BringBackOurGirls.

In August 2016, Boko Haram split into two factions after long-time leader Abubakar Shekau rejected an attempt by ISIL's Abu Musab al-Barnawi to replace him. Al-Barnawi is believed to be the son of late Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf and used to be Boko Haram's spokesman. Sporadic fighting broke out between the two factions, one headed by Shekau and the other by al-Barnawi and some believe that the division could break the spine of the Nigerian rebel group.

Since the start of the insurgency, the violence has resulted in more than 32,000 deaths and over two million people displaced.

But how did Boko Haram emerge and rise to power? What motivates them and why do they continue to thrive?

This questions needs to be answered