al Qaeda is alive and kicking – Nigeria

Editor’s Note – SUA wishes to remind its readers that al Qaeda is alive and well and still very dangerous. The media seems to forget that terrorism happens everywhere, and now, we see that Africa is in the target zone again. Osama bin Laden is dead, but he was a figure head.

As the snake loses one head, it gains another. Why, because it is an ideology, not popularity contest. The leader is irrelevant actually, and if we continue to focus on one head, another will bite. In a land like Nigeria, with 167 million citizens, the actions of al Qaeda there, reverberate everywhere.

Boko Haram Attacks in Kano, Nigeria

Violent Extremism Database

Overview:

On January 20, 2012, Boko Haram carried out a series of coordinated attacks against eight security offices in Kano, Nigeria, utilizing tactics that included bombings and armed assaults [1]. The Nigerian Police Force reported that the eight locations that were targeted were the Zone 1 Police Headquarters, the State Security Service Headquarters, the State Police Command Headquarters, the office of the Zone 1 Police Assistant Inspector General (AIG), the Office of Immigration and Naturalization, the Kano Immigration Services Office, and the Zaria and Farm Center police stations [2]. As of 25 January 2012, official reports list 185 casualties relating to the attack, though non-official sources speculate that the number of casualties may be as high as 250[2].

Narrative of Attacks:

At approximately 1930, a suicide bomber drove a Toyota vehicle filled with high-grade explosives into the Zone 1 Police Headquarters’ complex. The headquarters, located on Bayero University Road, sustained serious damage as a result of the explosion. The blast was reported to have killed three police officers instantly [3].

At approximately 2030, two bombs were detonated by Boko Haram militants near Farm Center. One bomb targeted a police station and the other targeted the Kano Immigration Services Office. According to news reports, police officers working at the Farm Center police station began to panic after the bombing and started to discharge their AK-47 rifles into the air in an effort to deter militants from carrying out further attacks at the location [3].

Shortly after the dual bombings at Farm Center, a suicide bomber detonated a bag filled with explosives inside of the Police State Command Headquarters. Witnesses reported that the suicide bomber drove a motorcycle to the front of the headquarters, located on Bompai Road, dismounted the motorcycle and then ran into the building [3][4].

The residence of Alhaji Abubakar Mohammed was targeted by militants almost simultaneously with the attack against the Police State Command Headquarters, which is around the corner from Mohammed’s residence. The militants threw explosives and fired weapons at the residence, targeting Mohammed—the Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of the Zone 1 Police—and his family. Police units were dispatched to rescue the AIG and his family, but were ambushed by Boko Haram militants while en route to the residence. Mohammed and his family escaped the ambush unharmed [5].

Shortly after the attack targeting Alhaji Abubakar Mohammed, the Office of Immigration was bombed. The Office of Immigration is located down the street from both the Police State Command Headquarters and the residence of the Mohammed.

A would-be suicide bomber targeting the State Security Service (SSS) headquarters was killed by SSS agents before the bomber could detonate his explosives [3]. However, two bombs were successfully detonated inside of the headquarters after the first suicide bomber was killed [6].

The Zaria police station was attacked by militants using bombs and other direct-fire weapons at an unknown time after 1930 [7].

Build up and Claim of Responsibility:

Abul Qaqa, Boko Haram spokesman, confirmed the group’s involvement in the attacks in a telephone conversation with an unknown source. Qaqa stated that the attacks were carried out in retaliation against the Kano State goverment for their failure to release an unspecified number of Boko Haram militants that had been detained. Qaqa also claimed that the group had sent a letter to top government officials in Kano in late 2011 regarding the matter but that the letter was ignored [8].

According to AllAfrica.com, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) raided several locations throughout Kano on 4 January 2012, arresting more than 250 illegal aliens [9]. The source states that the attacks by Boko Haram were carried out in order to preempt the government’s planned deportation of the illegal aliens [9].

Aftermath and Response:

On 23 January 2012, the Kano State police commissioner, Ibrahim Idris, stated that 185 people had been killed during the 20 January attacks, including 150 civilians, 29 policemen, three State Security Service officials, two Nigeria Immigration Service officers and a Nigeria Customs Service officer. However, sources speculate that the actual number of casualties may be closer to 250 [2].

Idris also revealed that following the incident, police had discovered 300 unexploded devices, eight other unspecified “deadly devices”, and ten vehicles that had contained various types of explosives [2].

Since 20 January 2012, Nigerian authorities have arrested 158 suspected members of Boko Haram in response to the attacks [9].

References:

Nigeria’s president visits city where bombings killed at least 157. (2012, January 22). Retrieved January 24, 2012, from CNN.com: [1]

Boko Haram: Six Major Explosions Rocks Kano, Police Officers Killed. (2012, January 20). Retrieved January 24, 2012, from 247ureports.com: [2]

Oboh, M. (2012, January 20). Explosions rock Nigeria’s Kano, at least six killed. Retrieved January 24, 2012, from realclearworld.com: [3]

Adoyi, A. (2012, January 20). KANO TRAGEDY: Second Bomb Blast Hit SSS Headquarters. Retrieved January 24, 2012, from dailypost.com.ng: [4]

Didymus, J. (2012, January 22). Boko Haram: Nigeria in shock as Kano death toll rises 200. Retrieved January 24, 2012, from digitaljournal.com: [5]

Shuaibu, I. (2012, January 22). Nigeria: Horror, Anger in Kano As Death Toll Reaches 200. Retrieved January 24, 2012, from allafrica.com: [6]

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