Boko Haram blamed for deadly attack on Nigeria village

A attack by Boko Haram in Dalori, Nigeria has left at least 86 people dead; including children, and injured survivors.

DALORI, Nigeria (AP) — A survivor hidden in a tree says he watched Boko Haram extremists firebomb huts and heard the screams of children burning to death, among 86 people officials say died in the latest attack by Nigeria's homegrown Islamic extremists.

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The Nigerian armed forces are complete and total mess. They should be large enough and well equipped enough to deal with Boko Haram. However they have some big problems. Number one is, well they are well equipped the weapons they have are huge mix from all over the world. I recall they had nearly 200 different types of ammunition being used, which made supply and logistics nearly impossible. With no standard weapons, training is also hampered and so is maintenance. So you end up with a bunch of troops poorly trained and with low morale.

Their is also the matter of pride. Nigeria up until recently when it armed forces have been exposed, was generally thought of one the best trained and armed forces in Africa. Their troops deploy all over for actions across Africa and other African states turned to them for training. Until Boko Haram exposed them for being a complete mess. So most of Africa depends on the US and NATO for training now. US Special Forces did arrive to help train the Nigerians but, they are sent home with Nigeria saying their forces were already well trained. That is strictly pride speaking.

They need to streamline their weapons systems and then be retrained. Until then they depend on mercenaries to their job. It is kind of crazy when you think about it.

a reply to: Teddy916

86 people slaughtered and burned to death, and no one says anything, no outrage, no call to stand with the Nigerians against this scourge. This should be front page news.

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

Got to say I agree with you.

Boko Harem are a particularly brutal and barbaric organisation.

I know UK and US Special Forces were advising in Nigeria but it seems that Nigeria doesn't want any outside 'help'.

Non-African countries face a bit of a dilemma where Africa is concerned; become involved and get accused of neo-colonialism, don't get involved and be accused of not caring because they are Black and African.

Still, I thought there would be more of a moral outcry here on ATS.

a reply to: Freeborn

Very true.

I'm not sure if any action on the west's part would suffice, but the show of solidarity and support from the west might just inspire some unification between local forces. Sounds naive.

Unfortunately, in Central Africa for example, in another war zone we never hear about, the Christian militias formed in the absence of military help, have been equally atrocious in response to the Islamists. Only governmental forces will be able to be the security in sectarian and terrorist violence, but apparently they are too disorganized to do so.

a reply to: Freeborn

I don't think I have enough ire and angst to go around anymore. It's overwhelming at times.

a reply to: LesMisanthrope

I truly don't know what 'we' are supposed to do.

But SOMETHING has to be done.

The only news that tends to come out of Africa tends to be negative - extremist terrorists, AIDS, corruption, tyranny, starvation and famine, internecine tribal warfare etc - yet there is a completely different side to it.

At the moment Boko Harem lack the resources to project their actions much further afield than where they do at present but have still been responsible for at least 20,000 deaths in the region.
But since announcing their allegiance to IS its not inconceivable that they will at some point in the future be able to spread their sphere of influence to areas further away from their point of origin.

Nigeria and Africa needs to root out and eradicate this evil presence as soon as possible and if that means seeking aid and assistance in doing so from somewhere other than the region then they should bite the bullet and get on with it before its too late.

originally posted by: Freeborn
a reply to: LesMisanthrope

I truly don't know what 'we' are supposed to do.

But SOMETHING has to be done.

The only news that tends to come out of Africa tends to be negative - extremist terrorists, AIDS, corruption, tyranny, starvation and famine, internecine tribal warfare etc - yet there is a completely different side to it.

At the moment Boko Harem lack the resources to project their actions much further afield than where they do at present but have still been responsible for at least 20,000 deaths in the region.
But since announcing their allegiance to IS its not inconceivable that they will at some point in the future be able to spread their sphere of influence to areas further away from their point of origin.

Nigeria and Africa needs to root out and eradicate this evil presence as soon as possible and if that means seeking aid and assistance in doing so from somewhere other than the region then they should bite the bullet and get on with it before its too late.

US trained troops from Niger along with French trained troops from Chad have done pretty well, Cameroons small forces have not as they are always our numbered. And that is all the support available in that area. They along with mercenaries and Nigeria forces have been making advances taking over all of Bokos territory but, the Nigerian troops who secure the area are almost as bad a Boko Haram with crimes and atrocities giving them little support from the locals.

So while Boko may not control any territory for long, they stay on the move and hit things as they go. However what it really comes down to is complete revamp of Nigeria's armed forces. Top to bottom. Right now the US has a ban on arms sales to Nigeria because its military has habit of killing civilians, political assassinations, and other human rights abuses. Which is why Boko is able to get around with out locals reporting them because in the eyes of the locals the Governments forces are just barely better than Boko.

originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
a reply to: Teddy916

86 people slaughtered and burned to death, and no one says anything, no outrage, no call to stand with the Nigerians against this scourge. This should be front page news.

Indeed. After the Paris terrorist attacks there were dozens of threads on ATS, every single newspaper had it on the front page, thousands of people marching the streets in Paris, Facebook profiles changed to the French flag as a show of solidarity...

Nearly a hundred people murdered, children burned alive in a terrorist attack in Nigeria and the thread doesn't even reach two pages...?! Hardly any mention in the media. How many Facebookers even know what "Boko Haram" is? And those that know, do they know what happened to the "Bring Back Our Girls" twitter bandwagon?

WTF? I don't understand people.