Boko Haram kills 100 Nigerian soldiers in one month, report says

The Global Protection Cluster in Chad, a group of aid agencies led by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, says "raids against the Nigerian army have killed more than 100 Nigerian soldiers. According to the information available, the armed groups captured a huge stock of weapons."

The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which split from Boko Haram in 2016, reportedly seized the northeast Borno communities of Baga and Rann in the last one month, sending armed soldiers and locals fleeing.

The Abu Mus'ab al-Barnawi led ISWAP has become the dominant and deadliest terrorist group in Nigeria's northeast region.

Reuters quotes the report from the aid agencies as stating that “attacks had intensified over the past few weeks and forced thousands of people to flee to safer areas in Nigeria and over the border to neighboring Chad”.

The report adds that armed groups have killed more than 100 soldiers and captured a huge stock of weapons since December 26, 2018.

President Muhammadu Buhari and Chief of Army Tukur Buratai (State House media) AFP

Citing the report, Reuters writes that attacks in the Baga-Kawa area of northeast Nigeria on December 26 caused more than 6,357 people to flee into Chad and some 20,000 others to flee to safety within Nigeria.

Security has become key campaign issue ahead of 2019 election

Last month, ISWAP seized the town of Baga, where a multi-national force fighting the militants is based. Troops later regained Baga and Rann.

With Nigeria set to conduct general elections on February 16 and March 2, 2019, security has become a key campaign issue once more. Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari who is seeking re-election, won the 2015 presidential election partly on the back of a promise to keep Nigeria safe and end the terrorism menace in the northeast.

Nigerian military spokespersons could not immediately be reached for comments for this story.

In November of 2018, insurgents reportedly killed over 100 soldiers in another Borno town called Metele.

Boko Haram has killed more than 50,000 people and displaced millions since it commenced an insurgency against the Nigerian state in 2009.