Boko Haram

===Rivalry with ISIL===
Boko Haram and ISIL were initially allies. However, the two groups became enemies due to territorial disputes, because ISIL tried to conquer the zones which were under Boko Haram's control.

In July 2014, Shekau released a 16-minute video in which he voiced his support for [[Islamic State|ISIL]]'s leader [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]], al-Qaeda's leader [[Ayman al-Zawahiri]] and the [[Taliban|Afghan Taliban]]'s leader [[Mullah Omar]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/africa/2014/07/13/Boko-Haram-voices-support-for-ISIS-Baghdadi.html |title=Boko Haram voices support for ISIS' Baghdadi |website=English.alarabiya.net |date=13 July 2014 |access-date=2016-05-22}}</ref> In March 2015, Shekau pledged allegiance to [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|ISIS]] self-styled [[caliph]] [[Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi]] and became "West African Province" (''Wilayat Garb Ifriqiyah''), i.e. the West African province of the Islamic State. However, in August 2016, Al-Baghdadi replaced Shekau with Abu Musab al-Barnawi, the son of the Boko Haram's previous leader Muhammad Yusuf, their motivation (at least according to one source) being to trim back Shekau's tendency to apply [[takfir]] (accusations of apostasy) to "all mainstream Muslims".<ref name="too-much-2017-282">{{cite journal |last1=Zenna |first1=Jacob |last2=Pierib |first2=Zacharias |title=How much Takfir is too much Takfir? The Evolution of Boko Haram's Factionalization. |journal=Journal for Deradicalization |date=Summer 2017 |issue=11 |page=282 |url=https://journals.sfu.ca/jd/index.php/jd/article/download/107/90 |access-date=6 March 2021 |issn=2363-9849}}</ref> 

Shortly before Boko Haram pledged allegiance to ISIL, the Nigerian government launched the [[2015 West African offensive]] during which Boko Haram lost most of the territory which it had occupied over time. Following this offensive, the group retreated to the [[Sambisa Forest]] and commenced its [[Guerrilla warfare|guerilla warfare]] tactics.

In August 2016, [[Islamic State|ISIL]] attempted to remove Shekau from his leadership role and replace him with [[Abu Musab al-Barnawi]]. ISIL attempted to remove Shekau because he had disobeyed [[Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi]]'s order to cease targeting Muslim civilians. Shekau rejected the move, leading to a split between the groups. As of 2017, there were three factions which were all Boko Haram in origin, all rejecting "democracy, secularism and Western influence", and seeking to establish an Islamic state implementing [[sharia]]. These were the "West African Province" which is part of [[ISIL]]; ''Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād'' (Boko Haram), under Shekau's control; and ''Ansaru'' which is loyal to [[al-Qaeda]] and rejected the caliphate of al-Bagdadi, though it shares his disapproval of the "wide-reaching interpretation of takfir" of Shekau.<ref name="too-much-2017-283-4">{{cite journal |last1=Zenna |first1=Jacob |last2=Pierib |first2=Zacharias |title=How much Takfir is too much Takfir? The Evolution of Boko Haram's Factionalization. |journal=Journal for Deradicalization |date=Summer 2017 |issue=11 |pages=283–4 |url=https://journals.sfu.ca/jd/index.php/jd/article/download/107/90 |access-date=6 March 2021 |issn=2363-9849}}</ref>

Since 2018, there has been a [[#2018|major spike in attacks]] by Boko Haram, (concentrated in [[Borno State]]), which sought to prove Boko Haram to be the prevalent terror group in the country. Attacks by Boko Haram resulted in over 1700 fatalities in the first half of 2019, including casualties of its own members.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.americansecurityproject.org/dont-forget-about-boko-haram-a-2019-update/|title=Don't Forget About Boko Haram: A 2019 Update|first=Cat|last=Cronin|date=24 Jun 2019|website=American Security Project|language=en|access-date=2020-04-03}}</ref> When climate change-induced poverty and violence struck the [[Chad Basin|Lake Chad basin]], the terrorist organization was able to recruit in large numbers by offering small loans<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://odihpn.org/magazine/the-evolution-and-impact-of-boko-haram-in-the-lake-chad-basin/|title=The evolution and impact of Boko Haram in the Lake Chad Basin|website=Humanitarian Practice Network|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-04-03|archive-date=23 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023031629/https://odihpn.org/magazine/the-evolution-and-impact-of-boko-haram-in-the-lake-chad-basin/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and promising big rewards.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-35898319/boko-haram-recruits-were-promised-lots-of-money|title=Boko Haram recruits 'promised money'|work=[[BBC News]] |language=en|access-date=2020-04-03}}</ref> It also continues to kidnap and force young boys to join them.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.counterextremism.com/threat/boko-haram|title=Boko Haram|website=Counter Extremism Project|language=en|access-date=2020-04-03}}</ref> Boko Haram is better equipped with drones, weapons and vehicles captured from and sometimes abandoned by Nigerian military during ambush.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|last=Searcey|first=Dionne|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/13/world/africa/nigeria-boko-haram.html|title=Boko Haram Is Back. With Better Drones.|date=2019-09-13|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=2020-04-03|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> To better fortify itself, Nigerian military has concentrated the rural population in its garrison towns. This has allowed Boko Haram to operate freely in the countryside. In 2019 they were believed to be back in control of 4 out of 10 zones of Borno State.<ref name=":0" />

For at least four years since the split happened, the two groups were not enemies and sometimes co-operated in some terror attacks. However, Boko Haram and ISWAP later became enemies since 2021 or even a year before. ISWAP gunmen targeted Shekau in an attack carried out on May 20, 2021. Several Boko Haram members were killed in the operation, while Shekau blew himself up, or tried to do so, in order to avoid a capture. It was the first major clash between the two groups.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/20/boko-haram-leader-abubakar-shekau-nigeria-forest?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other |title=Boko Haram leader tried to kill himself during clash with rivals, officials claim |website=[[The Guardian]] |date=20 May 2021 |access-date=2021-05-20}}</ref> His death was confirmed by his loyalists led by Bakura Sa'alaba in June.<ref name="sahara">{{cite web |url=http://saharareporters.com/2021/06/15/abubakar-shekaus-boko-haram-faction-confirms-death-leader-issues-fresh-threats |title= Abubakar Shekau's Boko Haram Faction Confirms Death Of Leader, Issues Fresh Threats |work=Sahara Reporters |date=15 June 2021 |access-date=9 December 2021 }}</ref>