The Islamic extremist group, Boko Haram, is being blamed for the suicide bombing attack at the Redeem Christian Church of God located in the Nigerian town of Potiskum in Yobe state on Sunday. Four worshippers and a priest were killed in the incident.
The Islam extremists of Boko Haram have been campaigning violence in the northeastern part of Nigeria for the past week. Suicide bombers on July 3 killed a large number of citizens living in Zabarmari village. Female suicide bombers the day before attacked a village in Borno State. On July 1, 50 armed men killed 97 people in Kukawa village, near Lake Chad. On June 30, 48 men were shot dead in the villages near the town of Monguno. The suicide-bombing at the Redeem Christian Church capped-off the bloody week, according to BBC.
A few minutes after the church-bombing, another bomb exploded at the Shagalinku restaurant. Shagalinku is a famous elite Muslim restaurant which is being patronized by elite politicians and state governors.
In total, the bombings killed 44 people while 67 people were injured and being treated at hospitals, according to the Philippine Star.
Even in schools and government establishments, Boko Haram has been infamous for targeting churches everywhere they go, evidenced by their June 2013 church attack which killed 50 people, and the November 2011 attack which assaulted 11 churches, according to CNN.
What is Boko Haram?
Boko Haram at a glance, according to BBC:
1. Founded in 2002, initially focused on opposing Western-style education - Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language.
2. Launched military operations in 2009
3. Joined Islamic State
4. Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria, abducted hundreds, including at least 200 schoolgirls
5. Seized large area in north-east, where it declared caliphate
6. Regional force has retaken most territory
"Boko Haram is an Islamic sect that believes politics in northern Nigeria has been seized by. a group of corrupt, false Muslims. It wants to wage a war against them, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria generally, to create a 'pure' Islamic state ruled by sharia law," according to the United States Institute of Peace Report.
As of today, Boko Haram remains a threat since they are still holding captive many children, women and 219 schoolgirls they kidnapped in April 2014.
