Muhammadu Buhari Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==== Boko Haram ==== {{main|Boko Haram|Boko Haram insurgency}} Since 2015, the fight against the extremists has taken a new dimension, internally the groups have splintered into the traditional Boko Haram sect controlled by [[Abubakar Shekau]] and the [[ISWAP|Islamic State in West Africa Province]] controlled by [[Abu Musab al-Barnawi]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cfr.org/blog/boko-harams-factional-feud|title=Boko Haram's Factional Feud|website=Council on Foreign Relations|language=en|access-date=14 February 2020|archive-date=5 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200705033956/https://www.cfr.org/blog/boko-harams-factional-feud|url-status=live}}</ref> Other groups supported by [[Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb]] such as [[Ansaru]], who were driven from Mali due to the French-led [[Operation Serval]] have surfaced and co-operated with Boko Haram despite being its rival.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.yahoo.com/islamists-ansaru-claim-attack-mali-bound-nigeria-troops-153819155.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130202022322/http://news.yahoo.com/islamists-ansaru-claim-attack-mali-bound-nigeria-troops-153819155.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 February 2013|title=Islamists Ansaru claim attack on Mali-bound Nigeria troops: paper - Yahoo! News|date=2 February 2013|access-date=14 February 2020}}</ref> This was mostly out of necessity, as the two factions could not risk to weaken themselves by fighting each other.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsweek.com/what-ansaru-nigerias-other-militant-group-443785|title=What is the other militant Islamist group in Nigeria besides Boko Haram?|first=Conor|last=Gaffey|date=4 April 2016|website=Newsweek|language=en|access-date=14 February 2020|archive-date=12 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612204916/https://www.newsweek.com/what-ansaru-nigerias-other-militant-group-443785|url-status=live}}</ref> In February 2020, over two hundred and fifty Ansaru members were killed in a police raid in [[Birnin Gwari]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/02/police-storm-ansaru-terrorists-camp-neautralise-250-terrorists-bandits/|title=Police storm ANSARU terrorists' camp, neautralise 250 terrorists, bandits|date=5 February 2020|website=Vanguard News|language=en-US|access-date=14 February 2020|archive-date=7 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200207180336/https://www.vanguardngr.com/2020/02/police-storm-ansaru-terrorists-camp-neautralise-250-terrorists-bandits/|url-status=live}}</ref> In October 2016, the government negotiated a deal with the terrorist group, Boko Haram which secured the release of 21 [[Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping|Chibok girls]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Porter|first=Steven|title=Schoolgirl hostage found almost three years after Boko Haram capture|date=5 January 2017|newspaper=Christian Science Monitor|location=Boston}}</ref> By December 2016, the government had recovered much of the territories previously held by Boko Haram and after the capture of [[Sambisa Forest]], Buhari announced that Boko Haram has been technically defeated. The insurgency displaced about 2 million people from their homes and the recapture of the towns now present humanitarian challenges in health, education and nutrition.<ref>{{cite news|last=Fick|first=Maggie|title=Boko Haram leaves traumatic legacy|date=28 November 2016|newspaper=Financial Times}}</ref> On 6 May 2017, Buhari's government secured a further release of 82 out of 276 girls kidnapped in 2014, in exchange of five Boko Haram leaders.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-security-idUSKBN1820P1|title=Nigeria exchanges 82 Chibok girls kidnapped by Boko Haram for prisoners|date=7 May 2017|newspaper=Reuters|access-date=7 May 2017|archive-date=7 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170507001419/http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nigeria-security-idUSKBN1820P1|url-status=live}}</ref> On 7 May 2017, President Buhari met with the 82 released Chibok girls, before departing to London, UK, for a follow-up treatment for an undisclosed illness.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2017/05/08/buhari-departs-for-london-after-receiving-chibok-girls/|title=Buhari Departs for London After Receiving Chibok Girls|date=8 May 2017|access-date=7 June 2017|archive-date=10 May 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170510043054/https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2017/05/08/buhari-departs-for-london-after-receiving-chibok-girls/|url-status=live}}</ref> Shekau committed suicide after his grouping was [[Battle of Sambisa Forest (2021)|encircled]] by ISWAP rivals in May 2021. In the following months, hundreds of "repentant" terrorists surrendered to the government, many likely loyal to Shekau.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Maclean |first1=Ruth |last2=Alfa |first2=Ismail |date=23 September 2021 |title=Thousands of Boko Haram Members Surrendered. They Moved In Next Door. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/23/world/africa/boko-haram-surrender.html |access-date=17 June 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page