OVERVIEW

Boko Haram flag

Boko Haram is a Sunni violent extremist group that seeks to establish a Salafi-Islamist state in Nigeria free from Western-style education and influence, which the group views as corrupting to Islamic values. Since its founding in 2002, Boko Haram has been affiliated at times with al-Qa‘ida and ISIS, but it is currently unaffiliated with either group. Since 2021, Boko Haram has lost many of its fighters and some territory to its rival group, ISIS–West Africa, but it continues to conduct frequent attacks, particularly in the Lake Chad region.

OPERATING AREAS
Primarily northeast Nigeria; also conducts attacks in Cameroon, Chad, and Niger

MEMBERS
Around 1,500

TACTICS AND TARGETS
Boko Haram uses small arms, indirect-fire weapons, and IEDs to attack civilians and regional security forces. The group conducts kidnappings, primarily targeting local residents, to obtain ransoms, medical services, and conscripts. Boko Haram last abducted a Westerner in 2014, and the group received a $3.1 million ransom for the release of seven French hostages in 2013. It has also used kidnapping victims, including women and children, as suicide bombers.

TERRORIST GROUP DESIGNATION
The US State Department designated Boko Haram as a foreign terrorist organization in November 2013.

KEY LEADERS

NOTABLE ATTACKS