BOKO HARAM’ WHO ARE THEY?

Boko Haram former leader

‘Boko’ in Hausa means western education, ‘Haram’ is Arabic word which means unlawful or taboo, Boko Haram means ‘WESTERN EDUCATION IS UNLAWFUL.

Their Story

The story of Boko Haram sect come to pronounce about five years back precisely in 2004 when some of its members opened a camp in the desert town of Kamamma. In Yobe State northern Nigeria.

As at that time, authorities said hundred of youth some reading medicine, pharmacy, engineering, agriculture and humanities dropped out of universities and other tertiary institutions from across Nigeria and join the group with the hope of strategizing on how to wipe out government and western education in all its ramifications. To them, anything western is against Islam, a claim many Islamic clerics condemned as false. (Weekly Trust Newspaper)

At the camp, it was reported that the Boko Haram followers were taught how to use guns, fight in the desert like the Taliban insurgents and equally learn other doctrines of the sect which being prepared by their leader Muhammad Yusuf.

Their Ideology

Boko Haram ideology is total condemnation of western education. For example they said Geography is unlawful course of study because as they said Geography taught that there is another planet like Jupiter, Venus, Earth and others. According to them all these planets are nothing but names of Greek devils of Rome. They also condemned the studies of Biology, Geology and many other subjects of learning. They condemned anything modern. According to them using any form of electronic gadgets like telephone and other electronic devices done by western countries is forbidden, that is the reason Islamic clerics condemned their ideology and pronounced them as devils and enemies of peace.

How they abduct children

Some parents in Northern Nigeria became victims of Boko Haram atrocities by abducting their children without their consent by taking them to unknown places in the name of Jihad. Plateau state is one of the states where one cleric disappeared with 12 female students who were between the ages of 12, 14, and 19 to an unknown destination, also happened in Kano, Kaduna and Adamawa state. Some of the children interviewed after the Boko Haram mayhem said the leading members who abducted them gave them charmed substance before they take us to the camp. Military and police found hundredth of abducted children in Boko Haram camp in Maiduguri the central base of the Boko Haram.

The violence

The violence began since the introduction of the using helmet to all motorcycle riders in Nigeria. But most of the Boko Haram members are motorcycle riders despite their ideology of condemning anything western. The Boko Haram opposed using helmet when riding a motorcycle. There is the time when a member of the group ignored the police in a checkpoint and the police open fire on him.

After the shooting the late leader vowed to revenge the blood of his member. And later clashes began in Bauchi after police killed dozens of Boko Haram members as a result of attacking police station and killing 2 police officers in combat. The following day, the clashes spread to other northern Nigeria states including wudil in Kano State. A reporter for the Reuters news agency counted 32 bodies at two Bauchi police stations and said dozens were wounded among the more than 200 arrested.

The late Boko’s Haram leader, once told Daily Trust newspaper reporter by telephone ( he is also using telephone while he ordered his followers to shun using telephone because is taboo) on the clashes in Bauchi which said his men were ready to die to ensure the institution of a strict Islamic society. He concluded by saying “democracy and current system of education must be changed otherwise this war that is yet to start would continue for long”. (Daily Trust Newspaper)

The fall of Muhammad Yusif (Boko Haram leader)

On Friday July 31 2009 the Nigerian Police paraded the body of Muhammad Yusif. After four days deadly violence which left more than 300 people dead. Muhammad Yusif’s hope to overthrow the government and impose a strict version of Islamic law failed as death knocks him out. He was arrested alive, after reportedly been found hiding in a goat pen at his parents-in-laws house. After military cached him alive, they handed him over to Nigerian Police, but the police paraded his corps with bullet injuries allover his body.

Many questions arise because of the conflicting information that Nigerians heard from both Military and Police about his death. Military says they captured him alive, (we even see the photo of him), while Police present him dead. Why do they not bring him to justice as Americans did when they captured Saddam Hussein in a hole and handed him over to Iraqis for Justice?

Now is Boko Halal?

Well to me, ‘Boko is now Halal (right) it’s provide me with knowledge that strengthen my life with real meaning and happiness and even provided me with a knowledge of knowing how to operate a computer. I surely believed without my ‘BOKO’ may be at this pointing time I’m in street of Kano wandering and don’t know what to do.