In the first quarter of 2023, more than 1,100 civilians and nearly 100 security
officials were killed in Nigeria. Boko Haram and its offshoot, the Islamic
State of West Africa Province (ISWAP), were responsible for 22 percent, or 272,
of civilian deaths. The staggering number of casualties underscores the
Nigerian government’s ongoing struggle to battle Islamist extremist groups in
the region.





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Nigeria Continues To Battle Islamist Extremists Despite Large-Scale Defections
And Deradicalization Efforts



(New York, N.Y.) — In the first quarter of 2023, more than 1,100 civilians and
nearly 100 security officials werekilled
<[link removed]>
inNigeria
<[link removed]>.
Boko Haram <[link removed]> and its
offshoot, the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP), were responsible
for 22 percent, or 272, of civilian deaths. The staggering number of casualties
underscores the Nigerian government’s ongoing struggle to battle Islamist
extremist groups in the region.



To read Counter Extremism Project (CEP)’s resource Nigeria: Extremism and
Terrorism, please click here
<[link removed]>.



In early May 2023, seven people were killed
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and 22 others were kidnapped in attacks across Borno state, northeastern
Nigeria. ISWAP members reportedlyambushed
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Buyalobe village, where they killed three farmers and abducted 11 others. Boko
Haram carried out a similar attack in Gamboru, where the militantskilled
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four loggers and abducted 11 others.



Boko Haram and ISWAP often target
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civilians in rural areas, including loggers, herders, farmers, and fishermen,
to maintain community fear. Following the attacks, violent extremists have
typicallyaccused
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the victims of “spying” for the military to retroactively justify their raid.



The struggle to contain Islamist terrorism in Nigeria comes just weeks after
Nigerian authoritiesclaimed
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to have weakened Boko Haram’s influence in the country through a
government-sponsored rehabilitation program for former violent extremists. In
March, around 600 former fightersgraduated
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Rehabilitation, and Reintegration (DRR) camp in northern Gambe state, with the
goal of being reintegrated into Nigerian society.



Despite the difficulty of responding to attacks, the Nigerian government and
its allies have secured small victories in countering violent extremists. Last
week, troops from the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), comprised of
units from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria, successfullydestroyed
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a Boko Haram base and arrested 19 individuals. Around the same time, Nigerian
forces carried out multiple operations in the country’s north thatkilled
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79 fighters and rescued 136 abducted citizens. Following the operations, more
than 500 Boko Haram and ISWAP-affiliated fighters and their family members
surrendered to Nigerian troops.



To read CEP’s resource Boko Haram, please click here
<[link removed]>.



To read CEP’s resource ISIS, please click here
<[link removed]>.



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