Niger Prevents Boko Haram Uprising On Its Territory

A Nigerien soldier walks out of a house that residents say a Boko Haram militant had forcefully seized and occupied in Damasak

643 suspected Boko Haram terrorists have been arrested and charged with terrorism in Niger. Niger law enforcement officials say it helped to prevent Boko Haram uprising in the town of Diffa, bordering with Nigeria.

Niger’s security minister Hassoumi Massaoudou has reported that 643 suspected terrorists have been arrested inside Niger and charged with terrorism for their alleged connection with Boko Haram group since February.

Hassoumi Massaoudou since that time several Boko Haram networks have been neutralized and terrorist sleeper cells dismantled in the city of Diffa situated near Nigerian border. According to him, these measures have helped to prevent Boko Haram uprising in this city.

A state of emergency was declared in the area of Diffa in February after Boko Haram carried out several cross-border raids. Recently, Niger extended the state of emergency in Diffa by three months.  Besides that over 3,000 Nigerian refugees and fishermen have been deported from the Lake Chad Basin as part of moves to prevent Boko Haram militants’ infiltration into area.

Three months ago Niger’s parliament has voted to send troops to Nigeria to join the fight against Islamist militants group Boko Haram.

The country decided to take the decision after Boko Haram attacked a prison and detonated a car bomb on Monday in the town of Diffa, near Niger’s border with Nigeria.

It was gathered that the Nigerien parliament unanimously authorized deploying soldiers to a regional force battling Boko Haram as the Nigerian conflict has increasingly drawn in regional states.