- Amnesty International (AI) said Boko Haram attacks killed 223 in north east Nigeria in four months
- AI also disclosed that about 100 civilians were killed in August alone
- Alioune Tine, its director for west and central Africa, however, called on governments in Nigeria, Cameroon to take swift action against insurgency
Amnesty International (AI) said about 223 people have been killed in Boko Haram attacks in north east Nigeria since April 2017.
Premium Times reports that the data revealed that most of the attacks happened in Borno state while many of them were bombing attacks carried out by women and girls forced into the act.
Meanwhile, at least 158 people were also killed by the terror group within the same period in neighbouring Cameroon, Daily Trust reports.
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NAIJ.com gathered that the attacks have continued despite the efforts by the Nigerian military and its neighbouring partners to combat the terror group whose activities have caused about 100,000 deaths since 2009.
In a statement on Tuesday, August 5, AI said its data showed an increase in Boko Haram attacks when April to early September 2017 is compared to the corresponding period in 2016.
The statement read: ''A major resurgence in Boko Haram attacks and bombings in Cameroon and Nigeria has left at least 381 civilians dead in the five months since the start of April 2017, with casualties more than double the previous five months, Amnesty International said on Tuesday.
''According to data collected by the organisation, a sharp rise in civilian deaths in the far north region of Cameroon and the Nigerian states of Borno and Adamawa has been driven by the armed group’s increased use of bombers often using women and girls who are forced to carry explosives into crowded areas.
''Boko Haram is once again committing war crimes on a huge scale, exemplified by the depravity of forcing young girls to carry explosives with the sole intention of killing as many people as they possibly can''.
Alioune Tine, its director for west and central Africa said between May and August, seven times’ more civilians were killed than in the preceding four months, while 100 civilians were killed in August alone.
Tine: ''This wave of shocking Boko Haram violence, propelled by a sharp rise in bombings, highlights the urgent need for protection and assistance for millions of civilians in the Lake Chad region.
''Governments in Nigeria, Cameroon and beyond must take swift action to protect them from this campaign of terror.
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''Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria have killed at least 223 civilians since April, though the real figure may be higher still as some attacks may have gone unreported.
''Between May and August, seven times’ more civilians were killed than in the preceding four months, while 100 civilians were killed in August alone.
''Boko Haram bombers have killed at least 81 people in Nigeria since April, while 67 people have been abducted mostly women and girls since the start of the year.
''There have been two reports of raids on villages in August, in which Boko Haram fighters rounded up and shot civilians, burned down homes and stole from people’s houses, shops and markets''.
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had reported that Nigerian troops battling Boko Haram in the north-eastern state of Borno reportedly recorded a major success against the terrorist group.
Watch this NAIJ.com TV video of Nigerian troops as they raid Boko Haram hideouts: