As the US prepares to send 80 troops into Chad to conduct an aerial search for the missing Nigerian school girls, 118 people have been killed in twin bomb blasts in the central Nigerian city of Jos and up to 48 shot dead in village raids this week.
A market in Nigeria
Two bombs went off within half an hour of each other in the central market in Jos, causing chaos as emergency workers helping with the first blast were caught up in the second.
The explosions took place in an area packed with stallholders and commuters.
Boko Haram is yet to claim the attacks, but news agencies are reporting the incident bears the hallmarks of the militant Islamic group.
Reports are now also emerging of Boko Haram gunmen killing up to 48 people in three villages on Monday in an area near Chibok, where the schoolgirls were kidnapped last month.
Sadly, attacks of this kind are frequent in Nigeria, with The Guardian reporting more than 1,500 people died in attacks by Boko Haram in the first three months of this year.
But with so much of the world’s attention on the country, Boko Haram appears to be attempting to strike fear into Nigerians and send a message to the authorities.
Amid criticism that it’s responded too slowly to the recent kidnapping, President Goodluck Jonathan was quick to release a statement to condemn the bombings.
“President Jonathan assures all Nigerians that government remains fully committed to winning the war against terror, and this administration will not be cowed by the atrocities of enemies of human progress and civilization.”
US President Obama yesterday announced they would be helping with an aerial search in neighbouring Chad for the girls who were kidnapped from their school dormitory last month.
CNN is reporting an un-armed Predator drone will be sent into Chad and the troops will be helping with the launch and recovery of the drone.
Boko Haram means “western education is sinful”. The group has ties to al-Qaeda and its known for wanting to eradicate Christianity and western style democracy from Nigeria and to replace it with an Islamic state and Sharia law.
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