Introduction to Northeast Nigeria and Boko Haram
Nigeria is located in west Africa. It has a population of 211.5 million. Its capital is Abuja; the current President of Nigeria is Muhammadu Buhari, who's been in power since 2015. There are more than 250 ethnic groups and 500 distinct languages.
Boko Haram is an Islamist, jihadist militant group. They were established in 2009. Boko Haram opposes the Westernization of Nigerian society, which it blames for "Nigeria's culture of corruption", and demands the establishment of an Islamic state in northeast Nigeria. They attempt to accomplish this goal through violence; they have carried out terrorist attacks against religious and political groups, local police, the military, and civilians.
The death toll due to the conflict is around 350,000 people, which is 10 times higher than previous estimates. Children younger than five make up more than 9 out of 10 of those killed (about 340,000). Additionally, there are more than 310,000 Nigerian refugees and over 2.9 million IDPs (internally displaced persons) in northeast Nigeria.
