45 killed in Boko Haram attack in Nigeria

Lagos, Nov 21 (IANS/EFE) Members of the armed terrorist group Boko Haram have killed at least 45 people in a village near Mafa city in the northern Nigerian state of Borno, media reported citing municipal sources and witnesses.

The radicals attacked Azaya Kura Wednesday, just one day before the Nigerian government refused to extend the state of emergency imposed 18 months ago in Borno and two other northeastern states in the country due to the Boko Haram attacks.

Most houses were destroyed by the Islamic radicals in Azaya Kura, about 25 miles from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno. The militants also seized livestock and food during the offensive, according to Nigerian newspaper Daily Trust.

Many residents fled their homes in Mafa, the city closest to the attacked village, after Boko Haram seized control of the area two months ago.

Parliament spokesman Alhaji Zakari Mohammed confirmed that extending the state of emergency has been refused because Nigerian President Jonathan Goodluck has the power to deploy troops and maintain peace in the country, according to Premium Times newspaper.

Boko Haram means "non-Islamic education is a sin" and the militants are fighting to impose Sharia law in Nigeria, a country that is mostly inhabited by Muslims in the north and by Christians in the south.

Security experts say that Boko Haram controls an area spread over 221,000 sq km in northeastern Nigeria and has killed over 3,000 people since the beginning of 2014.

--IANS/EFE

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