REPORT: Boko Haram Killings Have Doubled In The Past Five Months

Amnesty International reports that since the beginning of April, the Islamist militant group Boko Haram has killed 381 people in Nigeria and Cameroon.

The death count doubled compared to the previous five months.

While the Nigerian military has said that Boko Haram has been defeated, the group has led a series of suicide bombings and attacks on various towns. In Nigeria, Boko Haram has killed 223 people by forcing women and young girls to act as suicide bombers.

Alioune Tine, Amnesty International’s director for West and Central Africa reported, “Boko Haram is once again committing war crimes on a huge scale, exemplified by the depravity of forcing young girls to carry explosives with the sole intention of killing as many people as they possibly can.”

The deadliest attack occurred in July when Boko Haram kidnapped an oil exploration team while traveling in a military convoy. The group killed 40 people. In Cameroon, at least 158 people have died during the same period.

The United Nation reports more than 2.5 million people have been displaced because of the conflict with Boko Haram.  UNICEF reports that due to the attacks, children who escape or are released from Boko Haram are often rejected by their communities. Violence in the region has forced thousands of communities to not send their children to schools in fear of the terrorist group.