| November 2011 Nigeria attacks | |
|---|---|
| Part of theBoko Haram insurgency | |
 Interactive map of November 2011 Nigeria attacks | |
| Location | Damaturu andMaiduguri, Nigeria |
| Date | 4 November 2011 17:30 (UTC+01:00) |
| Target | Police stations, churches and banks[1] |
Attack type | Car bombings, shootings, suicide bombings |
| Deaths | 100–150(100 confirmed dead, possibly up to 150)[2] |
| Injured | 100–500 |
| Perpetrator | Boko Haram |
On 4 November 2011, a series of coordinatedshootings andsuicide bombings on northernNigerian cities killed more than 100 people and injured hundreds more. A spokesperson for theSunni Muslim terrorist groupBoko Haram later claimed responsibility and promised "more attacks are on the way."
Boko Haram have become more proficient in carrying out attacks since a2009 clash with security forces that led to the death of its leaderUstaz Mohammed Yusuf, Since then it has either claimed or been blamed for numerous attacks on Nigerian government and civilian targets. Most attacks have been the predominantly Muslim north of Nigeria, though the group's name has been called out in other bombings such as in the capital city ofAbuja. The group itself has since factionalised with some allied toAl Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and some expecting terms of agreement similar to southern Nigeria'sMEND insurgents.[1]
Among the targets hit were the headquarters of theYobe State police, several government buildings and two banks, as well as at least six churches. An unnamed local official told reporters that hundreds of wounded people are being treated in hospitals after the devastation in the city of fifty thousand. Gangs of masked men roamed the streets for at least 2 hours, setting buildings on fire and engaging in street battles with security forces. Government officials confirmed at least 53 people died in a double suicide car bombing at the anti-terrorist court building and numerous witness accounts spoke of a death toll significantly larger than the current one.
Hours before the Damaturi assault three suicide bombers attacked a military headquarters inMaiduguri and injured at least seven people. News reports suggest that the nearby city ofPotiskum was also attacked, and on the next day Nigerian TV reported a firebomb attack in the city ofKaduna that left two people dead.[3] At least three police stations and five churches were attacked.
Suleimon Lawal, the police commissioner of Damaturu, said that two suicide bombers drove a vehicle laden with explosives into the local anti-terrorist court killing 53 people.
As Boko Haram claimed responsibility for the attacks, its spokesman Abul-Qaqa said that "more attacks are on the way."[1]
A government spokesman said that presidentGoodluck Jonathan was "greatly disturbed" by the attack, and said his government was working hard to bring those "determined to derail peace and stability in the country to book."[3] His spokesmanReuben Abati added that he does not consider the perpetrators to be "true Muslims," as the attack occurred during Eid. He further added that "every step will be taken [to arrest the perpetrators]. The security agencies will tell you that what happens on this scale is even a fraction of what could have happened considering the scope of the threat. The security agencies are busy at work trying to make sure the will of the majority of the Nigerian people is not subverted by a minority [group] with a suicidal streak." Jonathan also cancelled a trip toBayelsa for his younger brother's wedding.
Ibrahim Bulama of theNigerian Red Cross said the death toll could rise. He also said that there was a fear of another attack.[1] The NigerianRed Cross has also promised to fully investigate the actual casualty count and release it in the coming days.[3] Lawal said that as police commissioner "my strategy is a security strategy [that] I cannot disclose on air. So as [Boko Haram's not] disclosing their security strategy, I don't think it is safe for me to tell the whole world what I am doing."
Nii Akuetteh, a former executive director ofAfrica Action, said that: "The government has been saying that it will deal with [Boko Haram] and that it will get a handle on the problem, but it's not been able to. Previously, the attempt made was to try and fight them militarily – to send the security forces after them – but that has created its own problem. I know for a fact that there're Nigerian groups in and outside the government, including the media, who are suggesting that the government should try to talk to Boko Haram. But my own impression is that they don't seem to be particularly ready or inclined to talk."[1]
United States – Theembassy issued an emergency warning to its citizens that bomb attacks could be possible at several luxury hotels across Abuja.[4] Nigerian National Security advisor GeneralOwoeye Andrew Azazi dismissed the warning as simply creating panic.[5]Isaac Olawale, of theOxford University Centre for Research on Inequality, Human Security and Ethnicity said that: "The present attempt to deal with the problem using confrontational strategies will not work. There is poverty all over the country and an increased number of Nigerians are jumping into the warm embrace of ethnic, chauvinist and religious fundamentalism. Boko Haram expresses some of the social upheavals we are witnessing in Nigeria."[1]
David Zounmenou, of the Institute for Security Studies, said that: "The difficulty is the amount of weapons unleashed into the desert by thedownfall ofMuammar Gaddafi and of his supporters. Those weapons are simply flooding into the region, falling into wrong hands. Some of them are certain going to find their way to Boko Haram, or the al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb or other groups."[6]