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Boko Haram at a glance:(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/81618000/jpg/_81618962_fb476f58-526d-4641-9329-605265cd4638.jpg)
- Founded in 2002, initially focused on opposing Western-style education
- Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language
- Launched military operations in 2009 to create an Islamic state
- Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria
- Has also attacked police and UN headquarters in capital, Abuja
- Abducted hundreds, including at least 200 schoolgirls
- Launched attacks on neighbouring states
(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/75306000/jpg/_75306515_line976.jpg) Last year, Nigerian defence officials were quoted as saying they had sighted the girls but would not want to use force to rescue them.
That has subsequently been denied, and the spirits of the parents, who expected a sort of miracle after President Jonathan assured them the girls would be found, remain dampened.
With elections imminent, the government appears to be racing against time to prove it has the capacity to deal with the intractable insecurity situation that has bedevilled the north-east, in order to get Nigerians to vote it back to power.
But Boko Haram's presence still looms large.
New dimension Last week, the group pledged allegianc (http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/mar/07/boko-haram-suicide-bombers-50-dead-maiduguri)e to the Islamic State (IS) operating in Iraqi and Syria.
This seems to have introduced a new dimension to the anti-insurgency campaign.
Although the military say it is not fazed by this, many Nigerians are worried.
(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/81777000/jpg/_81777425_maiduguri.jpg) A suicide bomber killed scores in Maiduguri Late last month, four suicide bombs (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-31779100) in Maiduguri killed about 60 people, adding to the tally of some 20,000 people the group has killed in the past six years.
The latest successes are expected to boost the chances of the ruling party holding on to power.
However, it faces a formidable challenge from the opposition, whose candidate is former military ruler Gen Muhammadu Buhari.
Continue reading the main story (http://www.theinfostride.com/forum/#story_continues_3) “Start Quote
There are searching questions about how the success achieved in the last four months against the insurgents can be sustained ”
End Quote And many want to know why the government allowed the insecurity to fester until a few weeks to polling day before it could muster the strength to fight.
There are also searching questions about whether the success achieved in the last four months can be sustained.
With homes and livelihoods destroyed, displaced people are now primed to return to their devastated communities.
But they are keen to know what support will be available to help them piece their lives together again.
Some also fear they will be disenfranchised.
The electoral laws in Nigeria say voters can only vote where they registered.
This means that displaced people may not vote since they have been driven out of their towns and villages.
Many of them are currently in internally displaced person camps.
It is now the responsibility of the electoral commission to determine how this challenge is addressed and ensure that it does not affect the outcome of the general elections.
Source: BBC