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In 1995, the group was said to be operating under the name Shabaab, Muslim Youth Organisation with Mallam Lawal as the leader. When Lawal left to continue his education, Mohammed Yusuf took over leadership of the group. Yusuf’s leadership allegedly opened the group to political influence and popularity. His leadership brought an Islamic state to Nigeria.
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Since its founding in 2001by Mohammed Yusuf, the jihadists have been responsible for between 3,000 to 10,000 deaths. Nigeria is the birthplace of the Boko Haram.
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Yusuf officially founded the group in 2002 in the city of Maiduguri with the aim of establishing a Shari'a government in Borno State under former Governor Ali Modu Sheriff. Yusuf forced Sharia Law through his rule.
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Boko Haram was founded as an indigenous Khawarij group, turning itself into a Kharijee Jihadist group in 2009. It is also linked to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
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The group conducted its operations more or less peacefully during the first seven years of its existence. That changed in 2009 when the Nigerian government launched an investigation into the group's activities following reports that its members were arming themselves for violent attacks.
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After the killing of M. Yusuf, the group carried out its first terrorist attack in Borno in January 2011. It resulted in the killing of four people. Since then, the violence has only escalated in terms of both frequency and intensity against foreigners and the Nigerian government.
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After the Christmas 2011 bombings carried out by Boko Haram, President Barack Obama's office issued a statement that confirmed that the U.S. and Nigeria were cooperating at a senior level against the terrorist group.The Boko Harma has a strict policy against interactions with Western Civilization.
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In June 2012, the group claimed responsiblity for the suicide bombings of three churches in the northern Nigerian state of Kaduna, killing more than 50 people. These destructive actions show the true intentions of the Boko Haram.
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On 19 September 2012, reports materialised in the press that the group’s spokesperson, Abu Qaqa, had been killed in a battle with Nigerian military personnel. However, the group has not confirmed this to date
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In October 2012 Human Rights Watch announced that Boko Haram may have committed crimes against humanity – an offence that can lead to prosecution by the International Criminal Court – since they began documenting these actions in 2009. This is a serious offense as the investigation contiues.
