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LAGOS. – Nigerian police yesterday said they had arrested a senior Boko Haram Islamist commander known as “Chief Butcher” during a raid on an insurgent camp in the restive northeast.
Mohammed Zakari (30), was arrested on Saturday “following the massive onslaught by security forces on the activities of the insurgent group”, at Balmo Forest in Bauchi State, a statement said.
Zakari was implicated in “the recent slaughter of seven people, including women and children,” it added.
According to police, Balmo Forest is one of several bases scattered across the bushlands of the northeast used by the extremist group blamed for killing more than 10 000 people during a five-year insurgency.
Bauchi has been attacked repeatedly through the conflict.
Zakari was not widely known as a prominent Islamist leader, but the group’s command structure is seen as fractured, including autonomous cells operating across the north headed by individuals who may not report to the group’s recognised leaders.
The Boko Haram sect has killed at least 2 053 civilians in an estimated 95 attacks since the beginning of the year, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.
The international rights body said the figures were based on detailed analyses of media reports as well as field investigations.
It said the killings and other abuses were part of widespread attacks on civilians in more than 70 towns and villages in north-eastern Nigeria, in the federal capital, Abuja, and elsewhere that are apparent crimes against humanity.
The bulk of the attacks and casualties credibly reported and investigated by Human Rights Watch took place in Borno State, the birthplace of Boko Haram, where 1 446 people died.
Attacks killed 151 in Adamawa State and 143 civilians in Yobe State.
Since January, at least 432 people have been reported killed in 14 blasts in crowded marketplaces, a brothel, a technical college, and, on two occasions, places where people were watching soccer matches.
Three of these attacks were in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, two in Kano, two in Jos, the Plateau state capital and three in Abuja, the federal capital.
The Abuja attacks may demonstrate a southward trend of Boko Haram operations, HRW added.
There has been a dramatic increase during 2014 in the numbers of casualties from bomb blasts, including several apparent suicide bombings.
“Boko Haram is effectively waging war on the people of north-eastern Nigeria at a staggering human cost,” said Corinne Dufka, West Africa director at HRW.
“Atrocities committed as part of a widespread attack on civilians are crimes against humanity, for which those responsible need to be held to account,” he added.
HRW said it compiled the figures by analysing credible local and international media reports findings of human rights groups, as well as interviewing witnesses and victims of numerous attacks.
The media reports generally quoted villagers, hospital and morgue workers, police and military officials, and local leaders who had observed, registered, counted or buried the dead. – AFP/CAJ News.
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