BBC. News
Militants reportedly seized a bus carrying
market-goers and drove it toward the
border with Nigeria. Some reports put the total number
kidnapped in Cameroon as high as 30. Boko Haram has escalated its attacks
outside Nigeria in recent weeks, targeting
neighbouring Cameroon and Niger. The insurgency has forced a
postponement of Nigeria's presidential
and parliamentary elections from 14
February to 28 March. The bus was seized near the border area
of Koza and driven towards the Nigerian
border 18km (11 miles) away, a resident
told the Associated Press news agency. Prison attacked In an apparently related incident, several
Boko Haram fighters were killed and
around 10 Cameroonian soldiers injured
as the militants attacked Kerawa, a local
journalist told the BBC. A separate group of fighters reportedly
attacked the nearby town of Kolofata,
looting food and livestock. The attacks in Cameroon follow a series
of assaults on the border towns of Bosso
and Diffa in Niger. Boko Haram militants targeted a prison in
Diffa on Monday but were repelled by
soldiers from Niger and Chad. Diffa was also targeted by a car bomb
which exploded near a market, news
agencies reported, citing residents and
military sources. A local journalist in Diffa
told AFP he counted one dead an 15
injured. Niger's parliament is due to vote on
Monday on contributing 700 troops to a
regional force battling to regain territory
from Boko Haram ahead of Nigeria's
rescheduled elections. Abbo Moro, Nigeria's interior minister,
told the BBC he believes the fight against
the militant group will be successful
enough for the elections to go ahead. Elections for state governors and
assemblies slated for 28 February have
also been moved to 11 April. BBC Nigeria correspondent Will Ross says
many observers in the country see the
delay as a political move aimed at
helping the incumbent President
Goodluck Jonathan. Uncertainty over the election is also
having economic repercussions too, our
reporter says, with Nigeria's currency the
naira falling to a record low on Monday. The Boko Haram insurgency has caused
more than 1.5 million people to flee their
homes. On Saturday, Nigeria and the
governments of Cameroon, Chad, Niger
and Benin agreed to establish a force of
8,700 troops, police and civilians to fight
the group. Boko Haram attacks during election
campaign 8 January: President Jonathan opens
his election campaign 14 January: Nigerian military repel
attack on the town of Biu in the
north-eastern state of Borno 18 January: Suicide bomber kills four
people after detonating a car bomb
at a bus station in north-eastern
Yobe state 25 January: Militants attack
strategically important north-eastern
city of Maiduguri, with dozens
reported killed 4 February: Militants kill up to 70
people in attack on Cameroon 6-8 February: Attacks on Niger
repulsed by Niger's military
Militants reportedly seized a bus carrying
market-goers and drove it toward the
border with Nigeria. Some reports put the total number
kidnapped in Cameroon as high as 30. Boko Haram has escalated its attacks
outside Nigeria in recent weeks, targeting
neighbouring Cameroon and Niger. The insurgency has forced a
postponement of Nigeria's presidential
and parliamentary elections from 14
February to 28 March. The bus was seized near the border area
of Koza and driven towards the Nigerian
border 18km (11 miles) away, a resident
told the Associated Press news agency. Prison attacked In an apparently related incident, several
Boko Haram fighters were killed and
around 10 Cameroonian soldiers injured
as the militants attacked Kerawa, a local
journalist told the BBC. A separate group of fighters reportedly
attacked the nearby town of Kolofata,
looting food and livestock. The attacks in Cameroon follow a series
of assaults on the border towns of Bosso
and Diffa in Niger. Boko Haram militants targeted a prison in
Diffa on Monday but were repelled by
soldiers from Niger and Chad. Diffa was also targeted by a car bomb
which exploded near a market, news
agencies reported, citing residents and
military sources. A local journalist in Diffa
told AFP he counted one dead an 15
injured. Niger's parliament is due to vote on
Monday on contributing 700 troops to a
regional force battling to regain territory
from Boko Haram ahead of Nigeria's
rescheduled elections. Abbo Moro, Nigeria's interior minister,
told the BBC he believes the fight against
the militant group will be successful
enough for the elections to go ahead. Elections for state governors and
assemblies slated for 28 February have
also been moved to 11 April. BBC Nigeria correspondent Will Ross says
many observers in the country see the
delay as a political move aimed at
helping the incumbent President
Goodluck Jonathan. Uncertainty over the election is also
having economic repercussions too, our
reporter says, with Nigeria's currency the
naira falling to a record low on Monday. The Boko Haram insurgency has caused
more than 1.5 million people to flee their
homes. On Saturday, Nigeria and the
governments of Cameroon, Chad, Niger
and Benin agreed to establish a force of
8,700 troops, police and civilians to fight
the group. Boko Haram attacks during election
campaign 8 January: President Jonathan opens
his election campaign 14 January: Nigerian military repel
attack on the town of Biu in the
north-eastern state of Borno 18 January: Suicide bomber kills four
people after detonating a car bomb
at a bus station in north-eastern
Yobe state 25 January: Militants attack
strategically important north-eastern
city of Maiduguri, with dozens
reported killed 4 February: Militants kill up to 70
people in attack on Cameroon 6-8 February: Attacks on Niger
repulsed by Niger's military
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